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25th ANNUAL PENGUIN SWIM: THEY BRAVED THE COLD!

Berlin, Md. – It was a warm winter New Year’s Day, and AGH associates, volunteers, and participants didn’t hesitate to jump into the ocean for the 2019 Penguin Swim. Although it was held in the middle of the week, the event proved to be successful yet again, with the participation of more than 650 penguins.

“It was a warm and wonderful day to hold our 25th Annual Penguin Swim,” said Michael Franklin, president and CEO of Atlantic General Hospital, and also an annual participant. “It’s a great event that brings together our community and visitors to have fun doing something a little silly and unique, as well as help one of the most important assets in our community.”

This year, the Emperor Penguin Sponsor, Bull on the Beach, paraded down the beach with a giant penguin balloon that stood out amongst the crowd, cranking the silly factor up another notch.

The success of the event is due, in great part, to Penguin Swim co-chairs Michael Cylc and Phillip Cheung, who devoted a great deal of their time and energy leading up to New Year’s Day. The support of the communities and resort visitors Atlantic General Hospital serves, as well as the many volunteers and Atlantic General Hospital and Health System associates, also played a large role in the event’s success. The 60-degree weather definitely contributed to the rise in participant numbers from last year’s swim.

Not all arrived as penguins; this year’s crowd was decked out in all kinds of costumes from movie characters to socialites.

The 2019 Penguin Swim raised a preliminary gross amount of $91,787 for the not-for-profit hospital, but that number may increase as final donations make their way to the AGH Foundation.

The notables from the event:

Top Fundraisers

Team – Business Category

  1. Bull on the Beach (Ocean City, Md.), $30,000*
  2. Frosty Flip Flops (Berlin, Md.), $782
  3. Swimming Skeletons (Berlin, Md.), $735

*The Bull on the Beach team has contributed more than $601,000 to the AGH Penguin Swim since it started in 1994.

Team – Community Groups Category

  1. Ocean City Ravens Roost #44 (Ocean City, Md.), $16,000*
  2. OC FOOLS (Ocean City, Md.), $425
  3. HFY Swim Team (Laurel, De.), $200

*The Ravens Roost team has contributed more than $120,000 to the AGH Penguin Swim over the last eleven years.

Team – Youth/Family

  1. It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere (Breinigsville, Pa.), $1,325
  2. Parkers Penguins (Gaithersburg, Md.), $750
  3. The Roarty Family (Churchville, Md.), $500

Individual - Adult

  1. Samantha Ewancio, (Berlin, Md.), $675
  2. Robert LeCompte (Columbia, Md.) $525
  3. Richard Moore (Glen Burnie, Md.) $500

Individual – 18 & Under Division

  1. Max Ewancio, age 17 (Berlin, Md.), $705
  2. Nicholas Franklin, age 16 (Berlin, Md.) $425
  3. Andrew Campbell, age 11 (Salisbury, Md.) $175

Costume Contest

  • Best Overall Costume - “Kim K Breaks the Internet,” Sandy Sanders from Havre De Grace, Md.
  • Most Spirited – “Uncle Sam,” Timothy Yates from Boonsboro, Md.
  • Most Creative – “Captain Planet & the Planeteers,” Derek Endlich and Chance Ebel from Ocean City, Md.
  • Best Little Penguin – “Snowy Owls,” Sienna & Keera Pierce, Mckenna Schlegel from It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Effort, Pa.
  • Team/Group Costume – “Team Happy Feet,” Michelle Black from Belcamp, Md.

Prizes were also awarded for the youngest and oldest swimmers:

  • Youngest Penguin: Kaden Stokes (Ocean City, Md.) (5 months, 27 days old)
  • Oldest Penguin: Bill Hunter (Ocean Pines, Md.) (90 years, 6 months and 20 days young)

Thank You to this year’s Event Sponsors:

“The Emperor Penguin” and Legacy Sponsor – Bull on the Beach/Crab Alley for 25 consecutive years as Title Sponsor

Glacier Sponsors – Above Aerial; Atlantic General Hospital Auxiliary; D3; Princess Royale Oceanfront Resort & Condominiums; WBOC TV

Iceberg Sponsors – Hardwire; WRDE TV

Igloo Sponsors – BJ’s on the Water; Blue Water Development Corp.; Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Company; Chris Parypa Photography; Clear Channel Outdoor; OC Wasabi; Ocean Downs Casino; Ocean Tower Construction; The Shrimp Boat; Trond's Pool Care; Vector Media

Icicle Sponsors – Atlantic Dental Cosmetic & Family Dentistry; Bayside/Carl M. Freeman Companies; Carrabba's Italian Grill; Coffee Beanery 94th Street; Deeley Insurance Group; Delmarva Collections; Delmarva Now; Fisher's Popcorn of Delaware; Guerrieri Family Foundation; i.g. Burton Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat; Jolly Roger Amusement Park; La Quinta Inn and Suites; Nickle Electrical Companies; Ocean City Today; Red Sun Custom Apparel; The Bank of Delmarva; The Kite Loft; Wilmington University

Snowflake Sponsors – Adkins Produce; Bonfire Restaurant; CG Accounting Group; Coastal Tented Events; S. Michael Cylc; Dolle's Candyland; Ladies Auxiliary Ocean City Elks No. 2645; Lollipop & Co.; Matt Ortt Companies; Max Hutsell / Edward Jones; Nori Sushi Bar & Grill; O.C. Seacrets; Powerhouse Gym; Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen; Shore United Bank; Talbot Street Watersports; The Original Greene Turtle; Tom D’Ambrogi / Long & Foster Real Estate

  • Youngest Penguin – Kaden Stokes of Ocean City, Md.
  • Oldest Penguin – Bill Hunter of Ocean Pines, Md.
  • Team Business 3rd Place Winner: Swimming Skeletons accept the Third Place Prize for top fundraiser in the team business category.
  • Team Business 2nd Place Winner: Frosty Flip Flops accept the Second Place Prize for top fundraiser in the team business category.
  • Team Business 1st Place Winner: Bull on the Beach accepts the First Place Prize for top fundraiser in the team business category.
  • Community Group 3rd Place Winner: HFY Swim Team members accepts the Third Place Prize for top fundraiser in the community group category.
  • Community Group 2nd Place Winner: OC FOOLS members accepts the Second Place Prize for top fundraiser in the community group category.
  • Community Group 1st Place Winner: Ocean City Raven’s Roost #44 members accepts the First Place Prize for top fundraiser in the community group category.
  • Team Youth/Family 3rd Place Winner: The Roarty Family members accept the Third Place Prize for top fundraiser in the team youth/family category.
  • Team Youth/Family 2nd Place Winner: Parkers Penguins members accepts the Second Place Prize for top fundraiser in the team youth/family category.
  • Team Youth/Family 1st Place Winner: It’s 5 O’clock Somwhere members accept the First Place Prize for top fundraiser in the team youth/family category.
  • Individual Adult 1st Place Winner: Samantha Ewancio accepts the First Place Prize for top fundraiser in the individual adult category.
  • Individual 18 & Under 3rd Place Winner: Andrew Campbell accepts the Third Place Prize for top fundraiser in the individual 18 & under category.
  • Individual 18 & Under 2nd Place Winner: Nicholas Franklin accepts the Second Place Prize for top fundraiser in the individual 18 & under category.
  • Individual 18 & Under 1st Place Winner: Max Ewancio accepts the First Place Prize for top fundraiser in the individual 18 & under category.
  • Best Overall Costume goes to Sandy Sanders for “Kim K Breaks the Internet.”
  • Most Spirited goes to Timothy Yates for “Uncle Sam.”
  • Most Creative goes to Derek Endlich and Chance Ebel for “Captain Planet & the Planeteers.”
  • Team/Group Costume goes to Michelle Black from “Team Happy Feet.”
  • Best Little Penguin goes to Sienna and Keera Pierce and Mckenna Schlegel for “Snowy Owls” from team It’s 5 O’Clock Somwhere, Effort, Pa.
  • A special shout-out goes out to Erik and Earl Cantine for their hard work on this year’s ice sculpture. It was a job well done, as always!

About Atlantic General Hospital

Atlantic General Hospital has been providing quality health care to the residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset (Md.) and Sussex (Del.) counties since May 1993. Built by the commitment and generosity of a dedicated community, the hospital’s state-of-the-art facility in Berlin, Md., combines old-fashioned personal attention with the latest in technology and services. It provides quality specialty care such as weight loss surgery, orthopedics, outpatient infusion for individuals with cancer or blood/autoimmune disorders, retina surgery and a comprehensive women’s diagnostic center. Atlantic General Health System, its network of more than 40 primary care providers and specialists, care for residents and visitors throughout the region. For more information about Atlantic General Hospital, visit www.atlanticgeneral.org.

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