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.
Olympians Craig Beardsley, Rowdy Gaines and Steve Lundquist
The 8th annual Value Based Cancer Care Summit brought together more than 300 thought leaders in academic, government, pharmaceutical and biotech. Change and innovation are happening at a fast pace in the field of healthcare and especially oncology. The purpose of the two-day summit was to create an active dialogue among the stakeholders in oncology care that ultimately will improve the quality of patient care.
Swim Across America, which has granted over $80 million dollars into cancer research, clinical trials and prevention, was selected as the beneficiary for the summit. Several of the oncologists shared during panel discussions the importance of Swim Across America’s early stage grant funding and how SAA’s funding has helped lead to breakthroughs and FDA approvals of new immunotherapy treatments.
In a personal testimonial, Dr. Jedd Wolchok of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center eloquently shared that SAA grant funding has helped numerous young investigators move forward their research ideas, many of whom are immigrants and are the pioneers in immunotherapy and personalized medicine.
Olympian and SAA ambassador Rowdy Gaines attended the summit giving a keynote talk about the 1980 Olympic boycott and how he persevered against the odds to win three gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games. Rowdy also shared how cancer has touched his life, losing his stepfather and sister to the disease.
The evening reception was attended by the Swim Across America Board of Directors, Olympians Steve Lundquist and Craig Beardsley, and the leaders from our SAA-Long Island Sound and SAA-Fairfield County charity swims. The reception was dedicated to Swim Across America as we shared stories from survivors, volunteers, and participants.
It was an honor for Swim Across America contributions to be recognized and it was meaningful to be part of these important discussions as we strengthened our relationships and lifted our goodwill.
SAA Family Tree is a monthly focus on stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have both locally and nationally. If you have a story or link you’d like to share, please send here.
SAA – Charleston-Kiawah
Event Director Brad Johnson promoted our 2nd annual swim on Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
We appreciate the support of all the Olympians who have donated their time to support the SAA cause in 2018. These Olympians have attended our swims and special events generating awareness and raising donations for our beneficiaries. Thanks for all you do for SAA!
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – TAMPA
Charlie Houchin, Eric Wunderlich, Steve Lindquist
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – GREENWICH-STAMFORD
Charlie Houchin, Cristina Teuscher and Craig Beardsley at SAA – Greenwich-Stamford
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – BOSTON
Doug Gjertsen, Erik Vendt, Eric Wunderlich, Alex Meyer, Craig Beardsley and Janel Jorgensen McArdle
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – CHARLESTON-KIAWAH
Kristy Kowal
Kristy Kowal
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – CHICAGO
Charlie Houchin and Sebastian Rousseau
SAA – LONG ISLAND SOUND (POOL SWIM)
Cristina Teuscher and Long Island Sound swimmers
SAA – SOUND TO COVE
Olympians Craig Beardsley and Steve Lundquist with the SAA – Nassau Suffolk team
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – ST. LOUIS
Ryan Berube, Ryan Held and Mark Gangloff
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – DENVER
Missy Franklin, Elizabeth Beisel, George DiCarlo, Susan Bartholomew-Williams, Susan von der Lippe, Lindsay Benko Mintenko, Mike Mintenko, Andrew Gemmell, Heather Petri, Kara Lynn Joyce, Brickelle Bro, Mara Abbott, Ashley Whitney, Katie Huff and Doug Gjertsen
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – RHODE ISLAND
Elizabeth Beisel, Craig Beardsley, Janel Jorgensen McArdle and Clara Walker
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – SEATTLE
Mary Wayte Bradburne with some Kids Splash swimmers
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – SAN FRANCISCO
Heather Petri, Dana Kirk, Ericka Lorenz, Susan Heon-Preston, Cathy Carr West, Staciana Stitts Winfield, Mike Bruner, Jessica Steffens, Annika Dries, Mark Henderson, Rada Owen, Mike Kiedel, Brikelle Bro, and Christine Magnuson
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – CHARLOTTE
Charlie Houchin, Lauren Perdue, Hannah Aspden, Marko Blazevski, Tharon Drake and Karlee Bispo
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – ATLANTA
Missy Franklin, Geoff Gaberino, Doug Gjertsen, Bobby Hackett, McClain Hermes, Katie Hoff, Kara Lynn Joyce, Kristy Kowal, Steve Lundquist, Maritza Correia McClendon, Megan Neyer, Amanda Weir, Ashley Whitney, Peter Wright, Nei-Kuan Chia, Ramon Valle, Hali Flickinger and Shannon Vreeland.
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – DALLAS
Dana Vollmer, Ryan Berube, Charlie Houchin and Jim Montgomery
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – SMAC OUT CANCER POOL SWIM
Susan Heon-Preston, Craig Beardsley and Mike Bruner
SAA Family Tree is a monthly focus on stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have both locally and nationally. If you have a story or link you’d like to share, please send here.
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.
Swim Across America is excited to announce its 2018 open water schedule. After a record-setting 2017 that saw $4.8 million granted to cancer research, SAA will be expanding to 18 full-scale open water charity swims. Denver and Richmond join the fold as new swims and Charleston-Kiawah will expand from its original clinic/short-distance concept. Check out the schedule below, register and help SAA #makewaves to fight cancer in 2018! Direct link is here.
See how many faces you recognize in this fun collection from the reception.
CHAMPIONS AGAINST CANCER SUMMIT
We were honored to have some of the country’s leading oncologists speak as well as plenty of SAA leaders. You can see some of the excitement from the Merck announcement in this album.
Thursday morning presenters included Dr. Taha Mexghoub (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center), Dr. Paul DiSilvestro (Women & Infants Hospital), Dr. Jeff Borgia (Rush University Medical Center), Dr. Lynda Vrooman (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)
The surprise Merck charitable contribution was celebrated by special Olympian guests Rowdy Gaines, Steve Lundquist, Janel Jorgensen McArdle, Heather Petri, Ryan Berube, Eric Wunderlich, George DiCarlo and Craig Beardsley
The afternoon session featured Dr. Carlos Becerra (Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas), Polona Safaric (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Dr. Julie Saba, (UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco), Dr. Marc Symons (Feinstein Institute of North Shore) and Dr. Jonathan Gerber (Levine Cancer Institute of Carolinas Healthcare System).
Friday presenters included Dr. Jim Garvin (New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center), Dr. Douglas K. Graham (Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Children and Emory University), Dr. Shari Pilon-Thomas (Moffitt Cancer Center), Dr. Damon Reed (Moffitt Cancer Center) and Dr. Richard Garlic (University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital).
We appreciate the support of Olympians who have donated their time to support the SAA cause in 2017. These Olympians have attended our swims and special events generating awareness and raising donations for our beneficiaries. Thanks for all you do for SAA!
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – SMAC OUT CANCER POOL SWIM
Olympian attendees included Mike Bruner, Susan Heon-Preston, Mark Preston, Ellen Estes, Emily Silver, Dana Kirk, Craig Beardsley
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – BOSTON
Janel Jorgensen McArdle, Heather Petri and Kristy Kowal participate in beneficiary visit
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – MUDPUPPIES MEMORIAL POOL SWIM
Ryan Held joined the popular pool swim at Triangle Aquatic Center
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – KIAWAH ISLAND
Carlton Bruner, Ashley Whitney & Steve Lundquist pose with a youth swimmer
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – CHICAGO
Kendra Berner Yoch, Katherine Starr, Jilen Siroky Bouwer and Tom Beeri
SAA – LONG ISLAND SOUND (NYAC TRAVERS ISLAND POOL SWIM)
Kim Vandenberg gives a swim clinic
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – NANTUCKET
Samantha Arsenault Livingstone with junior WaveMakers
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – ST. LOUIS
Kara Lynn Joyce with a fan
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – RHODE ISLAND
Craig Beardsley, Rhode Islander Elizabeth Beisel, Alex Meyer, and Clara Walker
Ricky Berens and family all participated in the inaugural event
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – ATLANTA
Craig Beardsley, Carlton Bruner, Nei-Kuan Chia, Missy Franklin, Geoff Gaberino, Doug Gjertsen, Joe Hudepohl, Kristy Kowal, Steve Lundquist, Megan Neyer, Heather Petri, Daniel Watters, Amanda Weir, Eric Wunderlich and Ashley Whitney all joined the SAA – Atlanta fun in 2017
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – DALLAS
Ryan Berube and our SAA – Dallas mascot sporting gold
SAA Family Tree is a monthly focus on stories that display the impact all the members of the Swim Across America family have both locally and nationally. If you have a story or link you’d like to share, please send here.
Spectrum News had all the video highlights of the inaugural SAA-Charlotte featuring Levine Cancer Institute’s Dr. Jonathan Gerber and Queens University swimmer and cancer survivor Alex Marshall.
Patty Waldron and her team of Masters Swimmers go ‘out of the box’ to raise money for Levine Cancer Center.
SAA – San Francisco Bay Area
3-year old Seth Lurie is battling rhabdomyosarcoma. Seth and his dad came to SAA – San Francisco and this is what he thinks of cancer.
SAA – Baltimore
Emma and Sammy Rocks of Team Rock On joined Wyatt Eberhart on Midday Maryland!
SAA – St. Louis
John Traube was the top fundraiser with over $26K raised for SAA – St. Louis. Find out why his story is such an inspiration to us at SAA!
SAA – Rhode Island
Olympian Elizabeth Beisel joined the Rhode Island swim this year and made a big splash with all the college swimmers and hospital patients alike!
d numerous young investigators move forward their research ideas, many of whom are immigrants and are the pioneers in immunotherapy and personalized medicine.
Swim Across America 