Seven years ago on July 27th, 2008, Mark Fracasso died in an accident. Mark was a Gator swimmer, a tennis player on the MVP team, a lifeguard, and a pool rat who spent many hours at the Park that is our second home in the summer. His youngest sister, Anna, is a swimmer and assistant coach on the Gators, his mom, Michele, is our Chief Marshal (wearing the yellow vest), his dad is a former Park President, his brother a former Gator, and his sister was a Gator and then an assistant park manager for several years . This is an article written on July 28, 2008 for the Gator website, with comments from other MVPers, about Mark, and has run each year since. We continue to hold the Fracasso family in our hearts and minds.
With Anna having one more year on the Gators, I hope that, in honor of Mark and his family, the next blogger up runs this in remembrance one more time. I ask that the parents of younger kids who do not know the Fracassos read this as well -- it offers a good reminder on how precious life, and life events like MVP swim, are.
The link to the article is here:
Every year on the Sunday after the Swim Team Banquet I read this beautifully written tribute (thanks Glen), I cry (a lot), I send out healing vibes to the Fracasso family (love you guys), I hug my kids a little tighter, and I thank my lucky stars for the wonderful Gator family that we have. I hope the newest members of the Gator family will also read this, heed its lessons, recognize that we truly have the best thing going at MVP, and embrace the Gator Way of Life. Please take a moment to click the link above and read this moving tribute to a Fallen Gator. Peace to all.
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