Making Waves to Fight Cancer since 1987
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.
Members of the Swim Across America family came together in Orlando at Rosen Plaza for the Champions Against Cancer Summit this October 11-13.
Board Members, Event Directors, Olympians and Oncologists joined the national SAA staff to celebrate a record-breaking 2017 and the $3 million charitable contribution to SAA from Merck.
See how many faces you recognize in this fun collection from the reception.
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!
Nathan Adrian on #WhyISwim for Team Benoit
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.
Patty Waldron and her team of Masters Swimmers go ‘out of the box’ to raise money for Levine Cancer Center.
Congrats to the 6 swimmers and support crew for the 9th double crossing since 1981 of the Catalina Channel. What an amazing feat! Here’s to the 2017 Swim Across America David Yudovin Memorial Relay in honor of cancer research. Thank you to all who encouraged and cheered along the way! Watch the video below and check out all the great pics!
Members of the Swim Across America family have been hitting the local airwaves this summer to promote our mission of swimming to fight cancer. Check out the highlights from Atlanta, Kiawah and Long Island Sound!
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – ATLANTA
SAA-Atlanta Event Director Megan Melgaard and 1984 Olympian Steve Lundquist on CBS 46
SAA-Atlanta Swimmer Grace Bunke on Fox 5
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – KIAWAH ISLAND
SAA Director of Marketing Ryan Baucom on NEWS 2
SWIM ACROSS AMERICA – LONG ISLAND SOUND
SAA-LIS Event Director Tony Sibio and Jeremy and Josh Glantz on lohud
One of the special moments when you participate with Swim Across America is meeting and hearing the doctors, and signing their coats as part of our WHY I SWIM experience. Dr. Richard Gorlick of University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital–supported by TEAM STACEY proudly wears his coat in the hospital.
TEAM STACEY participated in the Sound to Cove swim for the ninth year in memory of Stacey Rose Leondis. This year saw TEAM STACEY reach new fundraising heights with over $175,000 raised to put them on the top of the national leaderboard. Congratulations for everything TEAM STACEY is accomplishing to help fight this dreaded disease.
TEAM STACEY 2017
Each Swim Across America Event Director is inspiring in their own way. It’s incredible to see the hard work of a couple get widespread recognition this month. We can’t think of a better group to feature. Don’t forget to thank your local Event Director today and sign up to volunteer to help!
SAA – Long Island Sound is excited to celebrate 25 years of making waves to fight cancer through pool swim and the annual open water swim. Check out all the great fundraising being done all summer!
NYAC Travers Island Pool Swim – July 7th
A great kickoff pool swim for the summer with 60 swimmers raising $60k to fight cancer. The night began with a swim clinic led by Kim Vandenberg (2008 Olympian) and Laura Sogar (World Champion medalist) with the kids! The night ended by honoring Kevin Carolan, NYAC pool director, coach and SAA-LIS and NYAC supporter with the Eugene P. Culligan award.
Westchester Country Club Pool Swim – July 15th
Orienta Beach Club Pool Swim – July 22nd
Chappaqua S&T Club Pool Swim – July 23rd
Swim Across America