Swim Across America Provides Grant Funding That Helps Lead to 100% Cancer Remission

Posted on June 8, 2022June 8, 2022 Posted in #DefeatCancer, #MakingWavesToFightCancer, #SwimAcrossAmerica, beneficiaries, Grant, Long Island SoundTagged cancer research, swim across americaLeave a comment

June 9, 2022—The New England Journal of Medicine published a paper on June 5 that 12 patients completed a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer and showed a 100% clinical complete response to dostarlimab, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The clinical trial was conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering with early-stage grant funding from Swim Across America.

Reviews of the clinical trial and quotes in the New York Times from cancer experts are hopeful:

“I believe this (a 100% response) is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer,” commented Dr. Luis Diaz, an author of the New England Journal of Medicine paper.

“There were a lot of happy tears,” said Dr. Andrea Cercek, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a co-author of the paper.

Depending on patient size and other factors, the cost to run a clinical trial can run into millions of dollars. Early-stage sponsors such as Swim Across America are necessary to fund the costs. Swim Across America’s grant for the MSK clinical trial helped fund the science and speed of sharing of information. Other funding partners of the MSK clinical trial are the Simon and Eve Colin Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, Stand Up to Cancer, and the National Cancer Institute. Swim Across America is delighted with the results and continues to provide grant support.

Swim Across America’s grant agreement with beneficiaries such as Memorial Sloan Kettering requires that 100% of an SAA grant must be spent on approved research and clinical trial programs. In 35-years, SAA has granted nearly $100M to innovative and otherwise unfunded ideas so that the time of oncologists such as Dr. Cercek and Dr. Diaz is protected to make progress and develop new treatments.

Swim Across America has a proven track record of identifying and funding early-stage ideas of promise. Swim Across America grants have played a major role in clinically developing FDA-approved immunotherapy treatments ipilimumab (YERVOY), nivolumab (OPDIVO), pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA), and atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ).

You can volunteer or swim by visiting swimacrossamerica.org/communities

New England Journal of Medicine: https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2201445

Swim Across America-Long Island Sound

Swim Across America Honors Teams in Times Square with Clear Channel Outdoor

Posted on February 18, 2021February 19, 2021 Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, Corporate Partners, Events, Long Island Sound, News, UncategorizedTagged ad, clear channel, clear channel outdoor, creative, psa, swim across america, times squareLeave a comment

Background: We appreciate the teams that have given so much heart and soul to supporting the Swim Across America cause that we are using our public service message with Clear Channel Outdoor to recognize them in Times Square. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for #MakingWavesToFightCancer with us. And if you are inspired to help others, find a charity swim near you at swimacrossamerica.org. Thanks to the Clear Channel Outdoor team for supporting the Swim Across America mission on the largest scale! You can read about more about the partnership here.

Times Square Details: The 1-minute ad ran in February 2021. The two screens stand 100 feet tall combined – 55′ H x 31′ W and 44′ H x 44′ W and the location was adjacent to Duffy Square and the TKTS on Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets.

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FULL VIDEO

Behind the Scenes: Swim Across America Times Square PSA with Clear Channel Outdoor

Posted on July 18, 2019February 18, 2021 Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, Corporate Partners, Events, Long Island Sound, News, UncategorizedTagged ad, clear channel, clear channel outdoor, creative, psa, swim across america, times squareLeave a comment

Background: Clear Channel Outdoor teamed up with Swim Across America for a #MakingWavesToFightCancer public service campaign that placed SAA digital messaging in eight markets including Times Square in New York City. The digital PSA promotes SAA charity swims in each market. Thanks to the Clear Channel Outdoor team for supporting the Swim Across America mission on the largest scale! You can read about more about the partnership here.

Times Square Details: The 15-second ad cycles for 5 minutes every hour from July 15th – August 4th, 2019.

The two screens stand 100 feet tall combined – 55′ H x 31′ W and 44′ H x 44′ W to precise on the dimensions. The location is adjacent to Duffy Square and the TKTS on Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets.

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Creative Team: Swim Across America Director of Marketing Ryan Baucom led the team project with the creative talents of brand designer Miriam Weiskind (mdoubleu) and Swim Across America Digital Media Intern Hannah Aspden.

FULL VIDEO

Best of SAA + SwimOutlet Contest – 2019

Posted on June 3, 2019October 2, 2019 Posted in #DefeatCancer, chicago, Events, Family Tree, Long Island Sound, News, SAA on the Scene, san francisco, UncategorizedTagged #SAASwimOutlet, making waves to fight cancer, swim across america, Swim OutletLeave a comment

Again this year, we’re offering an exciting opportunity to show your love for SAA and win a $100 SwimOutlet.com gift card. Enter by tagging @saaswim and @swimoutlet in your SAA – spirited photos from event day and we’ll pick the best one from each open water swim. Grab your friends and family and show us the best the SAA community has to offer like these winners!

SAA – Houston

Winner: Natalie Marshall

SAA – Tampa

Winner: Tori Kirkman

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SAA – Fairfield County

Winner: Karen O’Brien (& Family)

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SAA – Boston

Winner: Stacey Mehringer

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SAA – Detroit

Winner: Katrina Jozwiak

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SAA – Long Island Sound

Winner: Lindsay Hall

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SAA – Sound to Cove

Winner: Brianna Fordham

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SAA – Charleston-Kiawah

Winner: Emma Ledingham

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SAA – Chicago

Winner: Andrew Xue

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SAA – Nantucket

Winner: Caitlin Marcoux

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SAA – St. Louis

Winner: Dustin Barrett

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SAA – Denver

Winner: Kyle Robrock

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SAA – Seattle

Winner: Cammy Webster

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SAA – Dallas

Winner: Amanda Hopkins

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SAA – Baltimore

Winner: Sammy Rocks

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SAA – Charlotte

Winner: Sara Dunn

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SAA – Atlanta

Winner: Katie Herman

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SAA – San Francisco

Winner: Eric Miller

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The SAA – SwimOutlet Contest is Back in 2019!

Posted on April 23, 2019 Posted in #DefeatCancer, chicago, Events, Family Tree, Long Island Sound, News, SAA on the Scene, san francisco, UncategorizedTagged #SAASwimOutlet, making waves to fight cancer, swim across america, Swim OutletLeave a comment

Back again this year, we have partnered with SwimOutlet for a social media photo contest for all of our open water swims! All summer, we’re offering an exciting opportunity to show your love for SAA and win a $100 SwimOutlet.com gift card. Enter by tagging @saaswim and @swimoutlet in your photo from your swim and we’ll pick the best one. Grab your friends and family and show us the best the SAA community has to offer!

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Best of 2018 Beneficiary Check Presentations

Posted on December 17, 2018February 6, 2019 Posted in #DefeatCancer, chicago, Events, Fundraising, Grant, Labs, Long Island Sound, olympians, SAA on the Scene, UncategorizedTagged children's healthcare of atlanta, johns hopkins medicine, Levine Cancer Institute, Moffitt Cancer Center, nantucket cottage hospital, new york presbyterian, rush university, UCSF Benioff Chidlren's HospitalLeave a comment

Swim Across America celebrated the end of the year across the country by presenting checks to our esteemed beneficiaries. Here is a collection of smiling faces as the hard fundraising work is now seeing its impact multiplied in the fight against cancer.

SAA – Tampa at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Moffit Cancer Center

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SAA – Chicago at Rush University Medical Center

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SAA – Charlotte at Levine Cancer Institute

SAA – Baltimore at Johns Hopkins Medicine

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SAA – Atlanta at Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

SAA – Greenwich at Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy

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SAA – Nantucket at Nantucket Cottage Hospital

SAA – Seattle at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

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SAA – San Francisco at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital

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SAA – Denver at Children’s Hospital Colorado

Swim Across America Impact: The 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine

Posted on October 18, 2018 Posted in #DefeatCancer, Fundraising, Grant, Labs, Long Island Sound, News, san francisco, UncategorizedTagged cancer research, immunotherapy, nobel prize, swim across america, swim charityLeave a comment

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The 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine has been awarded to Dr. Jim Allison and Dr. Tasuku Honjo for their work in immunotherapy. Swim Across America grants have played a role in the development of their research.

Dr. Jim Allison has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his breakthrough research that our immune system can fight cancer. The Swim Across America research lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center collaborated with Dr. Allison to focus its research and clinical trials to understand how immunotherapy treatments could be developed for patients. The research and our grant funding at Memorial Sloan is more important than ever to understand why some patients respond to immunotherapy and others

Dr. Tasuku Honjo was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine. His discovery helped pioneer a new type of cancer treatment called immunotherapy. With Dr. Honjo’s discovery, SAA beneficiary Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins was able to conduct a clinical trial funded by Swim Across America that helped lead to the FDA approval of Keytruda. Families are being given hope because of pioneering research and non-profits like Swim Across America that provide grant funding.

You can read more about the 2018 prize here.

Best of #SAASwimOutlet – 2018

Posted on July 24, 2018October 16, 2018 Posted in #DefeatCancer, chicago, Events, Family Tree, Long Island Sound, News, SAA on the Scene, san francisco, UncategorizedTagged #SAASwimOutlet, making waves to fight cancer, swim across america, Swim OutletLeave a comment

All summer, we’re offering an exciting opportunity to show your love for SAA and win a $100 SwimOutlet.com gift card. Enter by tagging @saaswim and @swimoutlet in your photo from your swim and add the hashtag #SAASwimOutlet to the caption and we’ll pick the best one. Grab your friends and family and show us the best the SAA community has to offer like these winners!

SAA – Tampa

SAA – Greenwich-Stamford

SAA – Boston

SAA – Chicago

SAA – Long Island Sound

SAA – Charleston-Kiawah

SAA – Nantucket

SAA – St. Louis

SAA – Denver

SAA – Rhode Island

SAA – Seattle

SAA – Charlotte

SAA – Baltimore

SAA – San Francisco

SAA – Dallas

SAA – Atlanta

SAA – Richmond

Swim Across America Awards an Additional $100,000 to Fight Cancer

Posted on March 22, 2018March 23, 2018 Posted in #DefeatCancer, Fundraising, Grant, Long Island Sound, san francisco, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Swim Across America, a 501(c)3 that hosts charity swims with a purpose of granting the proceeds to fund cancer research, is pleased to announce it is awarding a $50,000 grant to Dr. Robyn Gartrell of Columbia University Medical Center and a $50,000 grant to Dr. Julie Saba of UC Children’s Hospital Oakland. The awarding of these two grants is a result of additional fundraising that was received in 2017 and is in addition to the $4,891,422 that SAA awarded for 2018 to its beneficiaries.

Since it’s founding in 1987, SAA charity swims have funded more than $75 million to cancer research. SAA grant researchers have developed multiple FDA approved immunotherapies, gene therapy and personalized therapy treatments. Over 1.6 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer every year. Because of SAA grants, oncologists have been able to conduct research that otherwise wouldn’t have been funded and more families have hope in the fight against cancer.

Robyn Gartrell Image2 — **Dr. Robyn Gartrell at SAA–Long Island**

Dr. Gartrell will use her grant to study childhood brain tumors, including high-grade glioma (HGG), the most aggressive type of brain cancer in children. New treatment methods using the immune system, called immunotherapies, offer promise for helping to treat HGG in children. Dr. Gartrell’s team will study specific immune cells in and around HGG to determine the best approach in applying immunotherapy to this devastating disease.

Julie Saba and Rob Goldsby lab coats — **Dr. Julie Saba at SAA–San Francisco**

Dr. Saba will use her grant to study a cancer-related gene (AF1q) first identified in an infant with leukemia. Some types of cancers have high AF1q levels, and patient outcomes are worse in AF1q-positive tumors and leukemia. Scientists have concluded that AF1q is a “genetic driver” of cancer. The proposed project and SAA grant funding will compare the protein profiles on the surface of cancer cells either containing or lacking AF1q. By doing so, Dr. Saba expects to identify proteins that act as surrogate markers of AF1q expression that could be targeted by immune therapy. It is hoped that this study will move closer to developing a cure for cancers in which AF1q is a genetic driver.