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'EC Swims On' honors Collins' aquatic legacy

Faced with the task of finding a fitting way to honor Eric Collins, those closest to him dove right in.

The result is called EC Swims On, a swimming meet dedicated to his memory and devoted to seeing the sport he loved continue to thrive. The event will be held Sunday at Olympic Pool, a park district facility in Arlington Heights.

A lifelong swimmer and recently the coach of the Arlington Wellness Center's Masters swim team, Collins died suddenly in April after suffering a pulmonary embolism. He was 42.

His wife, Laura, currently has three swimmers competing with the Arlington Muskies age group team- Lilly, Evan and Leah - while the youngest Collins, Ethan, is 5.

Laura Collins and an energetic group of close friends have been organizing EC Swims On with the express intent of helping swimming in and around Arlington Heights. All proceeds from EC Swims On will be returned directly to the aquatics community.

The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. with onsite registration for any late enrollers. On facebook, search 'EC SWIMS ON' for a registration form and for more details.

It costs $20 per swimmer to compete, with a maximum of $50 for a single family to participate.

After a warm-up session, relay events will be contested starting at 10:20 a.m. The plan calls for a distance challenge, a medley relay, a freestyle relay and, for added fun, a clown nose relay and a corkscrew/saddle paddle relay.

EC Swims On will also feature a silent auction, raffles, a concession stand a t-shirts for sale. After a half-hour of open swim, the event will finish at about noon.

One of the many ways Eric Collins showed his passion for swimming was by frequently offering to teach others in his community to swim, unpaid, in his own free time. Organizers intend to set aside funds from Sunday's event in an effort to extend that instructional legacy.

"One of the things we miss most at this time of year," said Margo Quinn, a close family friend to the Collins' and a volunteer for the event, "is seeing Eric on deck, at swim meets and practices. He was such a great advocate for swimming. He loved watching his own kids swim, but he also loved watching everybody else's kids compete.

"We think EC Swims On is a great way to honor his spirit, and his many contributions to swimming."

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