SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING
Twin sisters team for Tyrtle Beach jump
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

PHOTO BY ROB PRICE Donna and Betty Gerych of Bath test the waters of Salubria Lake as they prepare to take a dive for the Tyrtle Beach Youth Fund Campaign, scheduled for April 25.

BATH - Betty and Donna Gerych have been entertaining wedding parties and community organizations for years with their singing. At the end of this month, they'll push their act into new territory.

The twin sisters and Bath natives will split the waters of Lake Salubria April 25 when the annual Tyrtle Beach Youth Fund Campaign holds its celebratory polar bear jump-off, capping its annual fundraiser for youth organizations in Steuben County.

The event is co-hosted by WVIN Radio and the Steuben County Youth Bureau.

Each year, the fund drive centers on a local individual who volunteers to leap into Lake Salubria as a fundraiser for the youth organizations. Past jumpers have included Bath police chief David Rouse, Steuben County District Attorney John Tunney and former state Sen. John "Randy" Kuhl, who serves now as a U.S. congressman representing the 29th District.

This is the first year a duet will tackle the frigid Salubria waters. The Gerych sisters figure they caught the attention of WVIN Radio personality Dave Taylor Smith through their community singing and volunteer work as quizz masters at Kiwanis trivia night competitions.

The twins are also gunning to break the fund raising record of $33,000, set in 2006 by Heather Wheaton, a member of the Bath village police department.

"We'd love to break $35,000," said Donna last week after sampling the Salubria Lake waters. "We'd love to double it."

They have a shot. Donna Gerych works in the Steuben County Treasurer's Office and knows scores of county employees. Betty Gerych is a music teacher of 22 years in the Romulus school district and has friendly contacts throughout that organization.

Their fund raising efforts will add to the hundreds of thousands of dollars the Tyrtle Beach Youth Campaign has raised since Smith of WVIN kicked off the fund drive years ago. Organizers attribute the success of the campaign to the fact that 100 percent of all funds are distributed to youth organizations. In addition, sponsor partners such as Chemung Canal Trust and WVIN Radio provide valuable resources to make the event go smoothly.

And not to forget: The jumpoff is fun to watch. Scores of area residents will be on hand April 25 along the shores of Lakes Salubria to watch the antics. There will be hotdog sales, lots of kidding and, at the climatic moment, a great big splash.