31 yeaars ago, agroup of young people from Nikiti turned  madness into reality:  they swam across the Toroneos Gulf from Nikiti in Sithonia to Kassangra.Their only motive being their love for the sea.

The start of  the seven swimmers passed unoticed. Apart  from some friends nobody else was   there. So they dried  into thr sea.  Their only weponts  were  their faith  in the importance  of  their  effort,  their  live for the sea  and the real athletic spirit.  In  the afternoon of the same day when it became known that the swimmers were arriving on the coast of Kassandra , the villages ran to welkome the heroes.

  The event was repeated the following year but this time more organized.  In 1973 t he   same group  of  young   people  established  the Cultural Youth Association of Nikiti  " SITHON ".

    Its seat is in Nikiti in Chalkidiki and its emblem in one  of  the    sides of a  silver coin which was circulation in Chalkidiki by the      associated cities  of the people in   Chalkidiki in ancient times.   The aim  of  " SITHON " is the  Cultural and   artistic development of Nikiti,  the collection, safeguard and publicity of the histotical and folk  material   of  the village as well as    strengthening of the relations the people of Nikiti.

   In 1974 because of the political situation in Greece the event did not take place. Consequently the 5 th swimming crossing was held in 1975 with great success.

Since then, evry year in Julie " Sithon " organizes the crossing from the village of Kallithea  on the peninsula of  Kassandra to Nikiti on the peninsula of Sithonia.

The crossing has become a folk festival since it is combined with other cultural and athletic events.