The 52-year-old psychiatrist at Hamilton鱿鱼视频app St. Joseph鱿鱼视频app Hospital hopes to not only become the oldest Canadian to make the 32-km crossing, but in the process raise $10,000 for the Good Shepherd Centre.
鈥淭he Good Shepherd has a lot of wonderful programs in Hamilton that benefit my patients,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been working closely with the Good Shepherd over the last few years and I think they need the money.鈥�
The Good Shepherd Centre is best known as a homeless shelter in Hamilton but also offers a number of other services for people in need.
A life-long swimmer, Korzekwa first began using her talent to raise money for the Good Shepherd Centre in 2011 when she swam across the English Channel, pulling in more than $6,000. Not only did she become the oldest Canadian woman to complete the 40-km swim, in 16 hours and 40 minutes, she was also awarded the Van Audenaerde Endurance Cup from the Channel Swimming Association for the most difficult feat of endurance that year.
Since then she has become the oldest woman to complete the 20-kilometre swim around Key West, Florida, has participated in the Swim for the Cure and this June raised more than $1,300 for the Good Shepherd by crossing Lake Muskoka, completing a 28-km swim from Port Carling, Ont., to the Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst.
It鱿鱼视频app committed donors and fundraisers like Korzekwa who keep Hamilton鱿鱼视频app Good Shepherd afloat, said Cathy Wellwood, the centre鱿鱼视频app chief development officer.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 get donations we can鈥檛 serve our clients,鈥� said Wellwood. 鈥淲e depend wholeheartedly on donations in this organization. It鱿鱼视频app like water and food to an individual.鈥�
Wellwood said donations represent about one-third of the centre鱿鱼视频app total operating capital. She added that for every dollar donated to the Good Shepherd the centre is able to get about $3 worth of goods and services.
But that doesn鈥檛 mean that there isn鈥檛 a great need for more donations.
鈥淲e are the largest social service agency in Hamilton and I think the perception out there is that because we are so large we鈥檝e got a of things going for us because it is like a big corporation,鈥� said Wellwood. 鈥淏ut that鱿鱼视频app not the case.鈥�
And it鱿鱼视频app not just the Good Shepherd Centre that needs help raising money. Korzekwa is also relying on others to assist in reaching her $10,000 fundraising goal.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a fundraising manager, it鱿鱼视频app all just word of mouth,鈥� said Korzekwa. 鈥淚鈥檓 spending all my time swimming and working so there isn鈥檛 time for me personally to fundraise.鈥�
Korzekwa will head down to California a week-and-a-half prior to the swim to allow her body to adjust to the climate and salt water. Although she admits she鱿鱼视频app a little nervous about the swim, mostly because of the sharks, Korzekwa won鈥檛 be alone in the water. She鈥檒l have a team of supporters and pacers accompanying her in a boat the entire way, as well as God watching over her.
鈥淚 say a prayer before I get in and a prayer afterwards,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 going through a tough patch and I come out feeling better I thank God that I鈥檓 feeling better and that I鈥檓 still going.鈥�
Donations can be made in person at the Good Shepherd Centre in Hamilton or by visiting .