Carr cares about children

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: MELANIE ANDERSON
Julie Timmermans (left) and Heather Verdun (right) pose with Annaleise Carr, the youngest person ever to swim across Lake Ontario, at the We’re All Stars event on February 11.

When 14-year-old Annaleise Carr became the youngest person to swim across Lake Ontario last summer, she was doing it for children. Her hope was to raise $30,000 for Camp Trillium, a centre that offers recreational experiences to children with cancer and their families.

Carr exceeded her goal and has now raised $250,000 for the camp, and she didn't stop there.

Carr was a part of this year's Roger's Sports Celebrity Dinner, an annual fundraiser for the Thames Valley Children's Centre.

According to their website, TVCC is a "regional rehabilitation centre for children and young adults with physical disabilities, communication disorders, developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders, living primarily in Southwestern Ontario."

Before the annual dinner and auction, Carr spent the day sharing stories and signing autographs for the children as a part of the We're All Stars event on February 11.

"I think this is a great place to come and see everyone and they're doing it for kids, and that's what I really like doing. We go through our lives not really caring about the everyday stuff, but for these kids, it's so much more challenging for them, and they have to go through this every single day," she said. "I think that we need to help them any way we can."

Heather Verdun was thrilled to meet her. "Being part of Thames Valley and We're All Stars, it's always great memory for me and for Julie (Timmermans). We like meeting new people and new friends and we also want to congratulate Annaleise on her long distance swimming and want her as a new best friend."

Since her swim in August 2012, Carr admitted her life has been a whirlwind, "It's changed so much. I would've never imagined I'd be in the same category as Devon White and all these people — it's crazy!" she exclaimed.

Former Blue Jays centre fielder Devon White won two World Series titles with the Jays ('92, '93) and is currently an outfield coordinator for the Chicago White Sox. He was one person who was inspired by Carr. "This young lady over there, 14 years old, I've spoken with her, I've done some events with her and I've asked her, what was her mental preparation? She's 14, she's not there yet, but she has something that she doesn't know she has yet. But when she reaches 30, she's gonna realize it, and when we get older we realize that some of that mental toughness that we have, we don't realize it as a kid."

White was proud to be a part of the event. "It's always a delight to come out and see the smiles on all the kids and the excitement that they show on their faces — it's always exciting."

Carr currently swims every day for two to four hours. Last summer she swam 52 kilometres across Lake Ontario in 27 hours. She continues to be an inspiration for children across the country, and this summer she's hoping to take on Lake Erie.

For more information on Carr's journey or to support the Camp Trillium, head to tinyurl.com/annaleise.