“With the help of then SAA President Janel Jorgensen (a teammate of Andrea and Daniel on the 1988 Olympic Team), SAA – Dallas would establish funding for Phase 1 clinical research at the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center.“

Swim Across America – Dallas held its inaugural event on Lake Ray Hubbard in the Spring of 2011, directed by University of Texas Swimming teammates Jeanne (Doolan) Cunningham, Andrea (Hayes) Dickson and Daniel Watters.  Each of the event directors have family histories impacted by cancer and wanted to make a difference in the fight.  Following an incredible adventure where swimmers from Texas and SMU teamed together to raise over $75,000 in the San Francisco swim as Team Tejas, they hoped to replicate the efforts in their home city of Dallas. With the help of then SAA President Janel Jorgensen (a teammate of Andrea and Daniel on the 1988 Olympic Team), SAA – Dallas would establish funding for Phase 1 clinical research at the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center.  $2.8 million dollars raised later and now funding the Swim Across America Innovative Clinical Trials Center at Baylor, the swim is still going strong under new leadership but still with the grateful support of Jeanne, Andrea, and Daniel. 

Swim Across America is celebrating 35 years of impact in 2022. SAA has raised $100 million since its inception in 1987 to support cancer research and clinical trials across the U.S. Please contact Jeni Howard at jhoward@jhowardpr.com for media inquiries.