Category: Long Island Sound

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – LONG ISLAND SOUND IN THE NEWS

Posted on Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, #SwimAcrossAmerica, Long Island Sound, News, UncategorizedTagged , Leave a comment

Read or watch local stories featuring the Swim Across America-Long Island Sound community to learn about their impact. Learn more about the event and beneficiaries, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, Cancer Support Team, and Weill Cornell Medicine, at swimacrossamerica.org/longisland.

SWIM ACROSS AMERICA BLOG – SAASWIM.COM

TEAM JOHN MAKES WAVES ON LONG ISLAND SOUND FOR BELOVED SWIMMER AND TEAMMATE

News 12 Westchester

Larchmont’s Swim Across America nears $25M mark in overall donations for cancer research

Patch – Chappaqua

Chappaqua Swim & Tennis Raises $32K For Swim Across America

Patch – Larchmont-Mamaroneck

Team John Helps Make Waves at July 29 Swim Across America Event

Scarsdale Inquirer

Scarsdale’s Team John (Needham) to swim to fight cancer

St. Joseph News-Press

Larchmont’s Swim Across America nears $25M mark in overall donations for cancer research

Prime Publishers

Larchmont’s Swim Across America nears $25M mark in overall donations for cancer research

Lohud – Journal News

Over 500 swimmers take part in Swim Across America in Larchmont

Patch – Larchmont-Mamaroneck

Team John Helps Make Waves at July 29 Swim Across America Event

Westchester & Fairfield County Business Journal

Swim Across America

Chappaqua’s Hamlet Hub

Swim Across America at Chappaqua Swim & Tennis Club

Scarsdale10583

Swimmers to Honor John Needham

The Examiner News

Local Swim Across America Events Helping Young Cancer Patients

Team John Makes Waves on Long Island Sound for Beloved Swimmer and Teammate

Posted on Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, #SwimAcrossAmerica, Fundraising, Long Island Sound, Top Fundraisers, UncategorizedTagged , , 1 Comment

Team John
Swim Across America – Long Island Sound
31 years supporting Swim Across America

At the end July, nearly 60 teams will participate in the 31st annual Swim Across America – Long Island Sound open water swim. One of those teams – and perhaps one with the most longevity – is Team John.

 The 18 members of Team John are swimming in honor of beloved swimmer John Needham, who sadly lost his battle with cancer on June 1, 2023, just shy of his 70th birthday.

“John will always be remembered as a beloved husband to Leanne and devoted father to his two children, Daniel and Caitlin, of whom he was always so proud and called his greatest joy, and his sister Sarah Needham,” said Joseph Kaufman, co-captain of Team John.

John Needham

“His teammates and swimming family at Westchester Masters Swim Association and the Scarsdale Town Pool keep his memory alive each time we dive into the water.”

Growing up, John was an All-American swimmer at Hamilton College in upstate New York. After attending Boston University Law School, he found his true calling and joined the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan and, ultimately, in the Bronx, working tirelessly to defend the underprivileged and marginalized.

Josh Glantz, Joel Talish, and Joe Kaufman, members of Team John

“John was loved by many in the broader Westchester swimming community,” said team co-captain Josh Glantz. “John participated in Swim Across America every year to raise money for cancer research. His friends from the pool now miss his laid-back nature, incredible and subtle sense of humor and supreme care for everyone in his swimming community.”

John Needham was also Josh Glantz’s Scarsdale neighbor. This year, John’s son Dan will be swimming the 10k alongside teammates, Josh, Joe Kaufman and Joel Talish, at the July 29 open water swim together in memory of their beloved father and friend.

Some members of Team John have been with the swim since its inception in 1992, including co-captain Josh Glantz. Every year, the team changes its name to reflect who they are swimming for – whether it is someone courageously battling cancer, or someone dear they have recently lost. The team is one of the top fundraising teams in the history of the Long Island Sound swim.

John Needham, Josh Glantz, and Eldad Blaustein, members of Team John

If you are moved to support Team John, you can donate here.

Swim Across America 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.

Swim Across America Celebrates 35 Years of Impact in Times Square with Clear Channel Outdoor

Posted on Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, Corporate Partners, Events, Long Island Sound, News, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment
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Background: Swim Across America is celebrating 35 years of impact this year in our public service message with Clear Channel Outdoor  in Times Square. We highlighted some of the incredible milestones we’ve achieved as an organization thanks to the tireless efforts of our swimmers, volunteers and donors. You can read more about our history at swimacrossamerica.org/35. 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 30 second ad is running for 3 weeks in July. 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

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

Posted on Posted in #DefeatCancer, #MakingWavesToFightCancer, #SwimAcrossAmerica, beneficiaries, Grant, Long Island SoundTagged , 1 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.

Dr. Luis Diaz, Memorial Sloan Kettering

“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.

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 Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, Corporate Partners, Events, Long Island Sound, News, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , Leave 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 Posted in #MakingWavesToFightCancer, Corporate Partners, Events, Long Island Sound, News, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

image1-6Background: 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 Posted in #DefeatCancer, chicago, Events, Family Tree, Long Island Sound, News, SAA on the Scene, san francisco, UncategorizedTagged , , , Leave 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

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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 Posted in #DefeatCancer, chicago, Events, Family Tree, Long Island Sound, News, SAA on the Scene, san francisco, UncategorizedTagged , , , Leave 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!

swimoutlet

 

Best of 2018 Beneficiary Check Presentations

Posted on Posted in #DefeatCancer, chicago, Events, Fundraising, Grant, Labs, Long Island Sound, olympians, SAA on the Scene, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , Leave 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

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SAA – Baltimore at Johns Hopkins Medicine

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

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SAA – Greenwich at Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy

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SAA – Nantucket at Nantucket Cottage Hospital 

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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

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Swim Across America Impact: The 2018 Nobel Prize in Medicine

Posted on Posted in #DefeatCancer, Fundraising, Grant, Labs, Long Island Sound, News, san francisco, UncategorizedTagged , , , , Leave a comment

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. Swim Across America Impact highlights  where SAA grants have changed lives.

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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.