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Dear Friends,
The Gene and John Athletic Fund of Stonewall is proud to continue its
support of two exemplary programs promoting LGBT athletic achievements:
The Stonewall Swim across Long Island's Great South Bay, now in its
third year, and the awarding of the Sixth Annual Gene and John Athletic
Fund Scholarships. The recipients of this year's scholarships are Harmony
Palmer, a softball player, who is enrolled at Claremont McKenna College in
Claremont, California and Nathan Strickland, a wrestler, who is attending
Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio. We are pleased to share with you the
stories of these exceptional programs and athletes.
Sincerely,
Gene and John
The Gene & John Athletic Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation
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(photo: Launch of the 2011 Stonewall Swim)
On August 13, 2011 at around 9AM, the 49 swimmers participating in this year's Stonewall Swim entered
the unusually calm waters of the Long Island's Great South Bay at Sayville to begin their three and
a half mile swim across the Bay to Fire Island Pines. This year John Kiley and Gene Silbert, the
co-founders of the Gene and John Athletic Fund, were one of the two underwriters of this event.
"We are thrilled by the fact that this year the swim raised over $150,000! That's a record for
the Swim," Gene Silbert said. "The participating swimmer who raised the most money was none
other than Matthew Ryan, President of the Stonewall Foundation," John Kiley added.
(photos: (L) Matthew Ryan; (R) Kayakers leading the way)
Accompanying the swimmers were a record number of supporters in kayaks and power boats who helped
insure the safety of the swimmers while providing encouragement and nourishment along the way. All
the kayakers were volunteers, mostly from Long Island kayaker clubs. Among them was Lt. Dan Choi,
the gay activist who helped repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Among the swimmers, the majority of whom ranged in age from early twenties to late fifties,
was 14 year old Wiley Watson, who swam with his mother. He finished the swim in fine style
in under three hours.
 Commenting on the determined group of swimmers
John Kiley noted, "Again this year, many of the
swimmers were members of New York Team Aquatics the gay swimming club to which I belong.
They included Win Chesson, who for the second time was the first swimmer to reach the Pines;
Australian born Elizabeth Turnbull - Brown; Shane Ewan who is also an Australian and was
responsible for swimmer recruitment; and Josh Judge who in the inaugural Stonewall Swim
famously swallowed a mouthful of diesel fuel in mid-Bay but still went on to finish the course."
(photos: (L) Finish line balloon; (R) Celebratory brunch reception)
All the organizers of the event are to be congratulated on the continuing success of the Stonewall Swim.
It is not only an impressive athletic event, but also an outstanding fundraiser. The $150,000 raised this
year will be used by Stonewall to support the services it provides to New York's LGBT community. Thanks
and congratulations to all the swimmers and supporters, and especially to Matthew Ryan, the top fundraiser
and President of The Stonewall Community Foundation. Congratulations also go to the other members of the
Stonewall Swim Committee for their hard work in organizing this record-breaking swim.
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(photo: Harmony Palmer in action)
The Gene and John Athletic Fund selected two outstanding athletes to receive its sixth
annual Scholarship Grants. The first goes to Harmony Jayne Palmer, a student at Claremont
McKenna College and an award-winning softball player. Voted the Player of the Year in the
2010 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), Harmony was Team
Captain in High School (2008,2009) and broke school records, including Most Home Runs
in a season and Highest Batting Average in a season.
Harmony chose to play softball as a member of Athena, a sports program of the
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps consortium of colleges. "I am a better person and athlete
for being a part of this program. It welcomes its players' true identities and
we respect each other for our differences. I have a close-knit, amazing team
and coaching staff . . . we sweat together, run together, lose together, and
win together," Harmony said. "We were SCIAC Champions in 2010 and 2011, and
at the NACC tournament in Texas this year we beat the 2010 National Champions."
Harmony's coach said she is not only an outstanding athlete, but also an excellent student,
a dynamic leader, and a great role model. Harmony said that in the face of personal adversity
"With the help of teammates and friends, I never lost sight of my goals. I made the Dean's
list this year, helped my team to another championship, jumpstarted my future career, and
embraced my true self. . . career-wise I am majoring in Economics-Accounting and I plan
on becoming a Certified Public Accountant." |
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(photo: Nathan Strickland)
The second 2011 Scholarship recipient is Nathan Dwayne Strickland who is attending
Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio. For three years Nathan has been a member of the
Tiffin University Wrestling Team. In competition he recently earned 5th place at
the Eastern Michigan Open at the 184/197 lbs weight class. He also earned the Most
Improved Wrestler award from his university. This past year, Nathan served as
vice-president of GLASS (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Supporters) the only LGBT
organization on campus.
This semester, he will be a junior at Tiffin majoring in Forensic Psychology with
a minor in Gender Studies. "Next year I wish to continue my involvement with the
wrestling team and with hard work and determination become the first openly-homosexual
wrestler in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) history to place at the
regionals. I would also like to become an Academic All-American in wrestling,
showing that I can be an athlete while excelling in my classes," Nathan said.
"My ultimate career goal is to graduate with honors and be the student to win the
Student-Athlete Award at graduation. Even after graduating from Tiffin University
and continuing on to my master's program, I wish to keep involved with wrestling,
either becoming a coach or just being a helpful spectator. I wish to find a way
to give back and help others move forward," he concluded. |
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In 2012 the Gene & John Athletic Fund of Stonewall will again be offering scholarships of $2,500
and $5,000 to LGBT athletes for continuing their education while pursuing athletics. To obtain an
application contact:
Stonewall Community Foundation
446 West 33rd Street
New York, NY, 10001
Call: 212-367-1155
Mail to: stonewall@stonewallfoundation.org
For more information about the Gene & John Athletic Fund and its mission visit the
Fund's website at geneandjohnfoundation.org.
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We are proud to recognize and support the outstanding achievements of Nathan and Harmony,
as well as all the participants in the Stonewall Swim. These dedicated, hard-working athletes
and students are inspiring role models for LGBT persons of all ages and for the general public.
As we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of The Gene and John Athletic Fund, we look forward to
giving back in new ways to the LGBT athletic community that has been so supportive of us.
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Volume 4, Issue 1
Volume 3, Issue 1
