For 70 years, the Interclub Races have remained a summer tradition along Eastchester Bay, bringing together generations of families from the area’s five beach clubs. This year, American Turners New York hosted the annual event, with volunteers spending days preparing the club to welcome hundreds of swimmers, families, and spectators.
In the days leading up to the races, volunteers expanded the waterfront swim platform, prepared the pier, organized race equipment, and readied the grounds for competition. Others stocked the kitchen, prepared food and beverages, and completed the many behind-the-scenes tasks required to host one of the community’s largest annual summer events.
The Interclub Races rotate each year among American Turners New York, White Cross Fishing Club, Danish American Club, The Strand, and Askov Hall. The tradition has continued for seven decades through the dedication of volunteers who work each year to preserve an event that has become part of the history and identity of the Throggs Neck waterfront.
“The Interclub means everything to this club,” said American Turners New York president Bobby Gray. “Many of us grew up here, raced here as children, and now have the privilege of watching our own children and grandchildren carry on the tradition. Seeing our volunteers come together, giving their time simply because they care about this place, reminds you what community is all about. That’s what makes the Interclub Races so special.”
Preparations this year were also supported through a $10,000 Walmart community grant. The funding supplemented the investment required to host the event by helping cover the cost of materials and equipment needed to prepare the waterfront facilities.
“We are sincerely grateful to Walmart for believing in our community and helping preserve a tradition that has united families for 70 years,” Gray said. “We also want to thank the Bronx Community Services Corporation for administering the grant, and Throggs Neck native Dana Carotenuto for securing the grant and making it possible. Their support allowed our volunteers to focus on what matters most, continuing a tradition that means so much to so many people.”
Although the races took place over the course of a single day, the preparation required weeks of planning and volunteer effort. From construction projects along the waterfront to organizing supplies and preparing the club’s facilities, dozens of members contributed their time to ensure another successful chapter in one of the Bronx’s longest standing summer traditions.
The host club was founded in 1850 as the New York Turn Verein by German immigrants in Lower Manhattan, the organization later established its home in Throggs Neck, where it has remained for generations. Today, American Turners New York continues its mission of promoting family, fitness, community service, and tradition while preserving one of the Bronx’s most historic waterfront institutions.
