REALTOR® Carl Oake was challenged 30 years ago to swim as many lengths at the local pool as possible in an hour. Colleagues and business partners in Peterborough, Ontario donated a dime for every length he completed, with proceeds benefitting the local Rotary Club.
About $4,000 was raised as the then 40-year-old Oake completed 120 lengths.
With that, an annual fundraising event was born.
Oake’s longtime involvement in bettering his community is what helped make him this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteerism at the Peterborough Civic Awards held June 7.
Thank you Carl Oake and all of the Civic Award winners for your contributions to our community @CityPtbo https://t.co/3PKoXZGl3f
— Daryl Bennett (@MayorBennett) June 8, 2016
Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the Carl Oake Swimathon at the YMCA and a total of $1 million has been raised over the years to support Peterborough Rotary Club projects and the Easter Seals.
“It was pretty exciting. I didn’t realize how big of a deal this was,” he told the Canadian REALTORS Care® Foundation after receiving the highest honour of the night. “I’ve got things like Citizen of the Year awards and senior male athlete of the year once, but this is a pretty big one.”
Oake, a broker at Century 21 United Realty Inc. and a longtime Rotarian, was one of about 30 volunteers, environmentalists, and athletes who were recognized by city council at the awards ceremony.
Lifetime achievement award for Carl Oake at last night’s Civic Awards https://t.co/Smzp6lx3xR pic.twitter.com/QGtuGMB9Yf
— PeterboroughExaminer (@PtboExaminer) June 8, 2016
His volunteerism isn’t limited to the swimathon, which now attracts 40 teams, 150 people, and raised a record $60,000 last year. In the 1990s, he took over a Christmas-time toy drive to make sure local underprivileged children had presents underneath the tree. About $15,000 worth of toys are collected each year, he said.
“I’ve always been involved in different things in the community. I don’t know any better,” Oake said with a laugh.
Seventy-five per cent of the swimathon funds benefit Rotary Club projects such as building bike paths, supporting the YMCA and the Five Counties Children’s Centre, and helping send children to summer camps. The rest of the money goes to Easter Seals, which provides programs and services to children and youth with physical disabilities. The Easter Seals is the charity of choice for Century 21.
Oake said he’s hoping his daughter, Vanessa Oake Hogan – also a REALTOR® at Century 21 United Realty Inc. – will take over organizing the swimathon next year.
