Join the International Swimming Hall of Fame & Swim Fort Lauderdale in a Charity Swim to Fight Cancer with Swim Across America. Register or Donate Now!
Everyone’s life has been impacted by cancer which is why we’re “Make Waves to Fight Cancer” and raise money for cancer research, prevention and treatment.
ABOUT THE SWIM ACROSS AMERICA EVENT
WHAT: Swim Across America, the International Swimming Hall of Fame and Swim Fort Lauderdale are teaming up for this charity swim with proceeds funding the mission of SAA and ISHOF.
WHEN: May 19, 2019
WHERE: Carter Park Aquatic Complex
1450 W Sunrise Blvd
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33311
SWIM TIMELINE: The schedule is subject to change.
- 8:00 AM: Registration/Check In/Coffee
- 8:30 AM: Welcome/Why I Swim
- 8:45 AM: We Swim
- 9:45 AM: Wrap Up/Thanks/Snacks
SWIM OPTIONS: We’ll have a charity swim practice that will offer 15x25s, 15x50s, 15x75s, or 15x100s. You can decide when you show up what distance you want to swim. You can set an interval and wear fins or use a kickboard. Whatever makes you comfortable. We will have a coach on deck to offer help. All participants will need to register and are asked to raise $100 for the cause.
HOW TO JOIN: Click the register button in the middle of this page and you will be provided a personal story page that you can promote on social and send to your friends and family. All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here and bring to the event check-in. If you are under 18, please bring the waiver signed by a parent or guardian.
FUNDRAISING: We encourage each participant to raise at least $100. Many will raise more but if everyone raises $100, our charity swim will have an impact to support the mission of SAA and ISHOF.
FUNDRAISING INCENTIVES: Every swimmer who participates will receive a Swim Across America cap, bracelet and tattoos! Raise the amounts below and receive great SAA items for your efforts!
We are offering incentives to hit fundraising milestones.
- $100 – SAA T-Shirt.
- $200 – SAA Keychain + $100 fundraising incentive.
- $500 – SAA Towel + $200 fundraising incentives.
- $1000 – SAA Embroidered Bag + $500 fundraising incentives.
QUESTIONS? Feel free to email Craig Beardsley.
About Cancer and Swim Across America
Every 15 minutes, 50 Americans are diagnosed with cancer. This is a sobering reality. But, the good news is that every year millions of Americans are beating cancer through advancements in treatments. Swim Across America, the official charity for swimmers, exists to raise money for our network of doctors and researchers who are the pioneers developing new cures and treatments to this dreaded disease. Michael Phelps and over 100 Olympians support SAA.
ORIGIN
Swim Across America is the inspired sequel to a triumphant Run Across America completed by the two founders of SAA, Jeff Keith and Matt Vossler in 1985. The eight-month journey spanned the country from Boston to Los Angeles and raised over $1 million for cancer research. Jeff Keith, one of the determined runners, a 22-year-old from Fairfield, CT, had lost his right leg to cancer a decade before. Following college graduation, these two childhood buddies embarked on their mission, making history in the process. Together, they instilled hope in all who fight this disease and heightened consciousness about overcoming this frightening diagnosis.
It was in 1987 that Keith and Vossler decided to bring their cause back home and transitioned from running to swimming for a cure. With a focus on raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment, Swim Across America was chartered as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
THE FIRST SWIM
Cancer survivor Jeff Keith, and childhood friends Matt Vossler and Hugh Curran, created their first fundraiser in 1987 in Nantucket, MA.
AMOUNT RAISED
Since 1987, SAA has granted over $80 million through 20 experiential open water swimming fundraising events and over 100 pool swim fundraisers
CELEBRATING 32 YEARS
2018 marks the 32nd year of Swim Across America. During that time, they’ve grown from a single event in Nantucket, MA, to the 20 open water benefit swims across the country and 100 annual pool swims.
BENEFICIARIES
Swim Across America beneficiaries are in the communities of our open water charity swims. The doctors receiving SAA grants attend the charity swim and are part of the experience. They enjoy meeting participants and donors, and sharing how the SAA grant is helping them in the fight against cancer. The connection of a local SAA swim to a local beneficiary is part of what makes SAA so special.
Our scientific advisory committee is renowned cancer MDs and PHDs with decades of experience in clinical trials and cancer research. They help us select projects and researchers who are the pioneers to curing cancer. Our grant focus is not a specific type of cancer. Rather, we provide seed grants to the projects that present the best opportunities to have a breakthrough in the fight against cancer.
With the data, our beneficiaries are then able to apply for additional funding from the National Institute of Health, other foundations, biotech and pharmaceuticals. Our beneficiaries have reported that for every grant dollar they receive from SAA, they are able to secure $3 in new funding they might not otherwise have received.
We granted a record $5.6 million for 2019 that will fund over 30 research projects. In over three decades, Swim Across America has granted over $80 million dollars that have lead to breakthroughs in immunotherapy, gene therapy, personalized medicine, and new cancer detection methods.
It is important donors know that our grant agreement requires 100% of SAA grants be applied to approved projects and not other things such as overhead and buildings.
There are nine named Swim Across America research labs demonstrating the commitment and partnership of the beneficiary and Swim Across America.
SAA – ATLANTA
Swim Across America Lab
at Children’s Healthcare Of Atlanta
FOCUS: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) clinical trial that is in phase I for adults and children.
GRANT FOR 2019: $550,000
SAA – BALTIMORE
Swim Across America Lab
at Johns Hopkins Medicine
FOCUS: Immunotherapies, targeted therapies and precision medicine across all cancers.
GRANT FOR 2019: $375,000
JOHNS HOPKINS TESTIMONIAL
SAA – BOSTON
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Mass General Hospital for Children Cancer Center
FOCUS: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) research, pediatric oncology research and quality-of-life clinical research.
GRANT FOR 2019: $300,000
MASS GENERAL TESTIMONIAL
SAA – CHARLESTON-KIAWAH
Hollings Cancer Center (Medical University of South Carolina)
FOCUS: Cancer research and clinical trials.
SAA – CHARLOTTE
Levine Cancer Institute (Atrium Health)
FOCUS: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) research with a goal of decreasing patient relapse from AML.
GRANT FOR 2019: $115,000
SAA – CHICAGO
Swim Across America Lab
at Chicago Rush University Medical Center
FOCUS: Develop early detection for ovarian cancer, lung cancer research, breast cancer research, and Latina cancer survivors research.
GRANT FOR 2019: $185,000
RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER TESTIMONIAL
SAA – DALLAS
Swim Across America Lab
at BaylorScott&White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas
FOCUS: Innovative clinical trials focusing on treating cancers that have resisted standard therapies with innovation in oncology treatment.
GRANT FOR 2019: $220,711
SAA – DENVER
Children’s Hospital Colorado
FOCUS: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) research project helping to define better methods to detect leukemia cells in pediatric patients.
GRANT FOR 2019: $150,000
SAA – FAIRFIELD COUNTY
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy
FOCUS: Cancer gene and cell therapy, including immunotherapy
GRANT FOR 2019: $385,000
SAA – HOUSTON
MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER
FOCUS: Cancer research and clinical trials in the departments of Pediatric Oncology and Neuro-Oncology.
GRANT FOR 2019: $210,000
SAA – LONG ISLAND SOUND
Swim Across America Lab
at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Cancer Support Team
FOCUS: Funding immunotherapy clinical trials that have played a major role in developing four FDA approved immunotherapy medicines ipilimumab (YERVOY), nivolumab (OPDIVO), pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) and atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ), pediatric oncology research, and patient support services in Westchester County, NY.
GRANT FOR 2019: $900,000
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING TESTIMONIAL
SAA – MOTOR CITY MILE
Rogel Cancer Center (University of Michigan Medicine)
FOCUS: Cancer research and clinical trials.
SAA – NANTUCKET
Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket
FOCUS: Provide patient treatment services at Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s oncology program. Without SAAs grant funding, this program would not exist and patients would have to leave Nantucket island for cancer treatment.
GRANT FOR 2019: $335,000
PALLIATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE CARE OF NANTUCKET TESTIMONIALNANTUCKET COTTAGE HOSPITAL TESTIMONIAL
SAA – NASSAU/SUFFOLK
Swim Across America Lab
at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Feinstein Institute of North Shore, University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital
FOCUS: Funding immunotherapy clinical trials that have played a major role in developing four FDA approved immunotherapy medicines ipilimumab (YERVOY), nivolumab (OPDIVO), pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) and atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ), lung cancer clinical trials, medulloblastoma (brain cancer) research, and sarcoma research.
GRANT FOR 2019: $515,000
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING TESTIMONIAL
SAA – RHODE ISLAND
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
FOCUS: Gynecological and ovarian cancer research, and genetic biomarkers research for endometrial cancer.
GRANT FOR 2019: $150,000
WOMEN & INFANTS TESTIMONIAL
SAA – RICHMOND
VCU Massey Cancer Center
FOCUS: Cancer research and clinical trials.
GRANT FOR 2019: $15,000
SAA – ST. LOUIS
Siteman Cancer Center
FOCUS: Breast cancer research that is studying drug combinations for potential treatment.
GRANT FOR 2019: $162,500
SAA – SAN FRANCISCO
Swim Across America Lab
at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland,
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco
FOCUS: Pediatric cancer research and pediatric cancer survivorship
GRANT FOR 2019: $650,000
UCSF BENIOFF CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TESTIMONIAL
SAA – SEATTLE
Swim Across America Lab
at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
FOCUS: Immunotherapy clinical trials, cancer research, and pancreatic cancer specialty clinic.
GRANT FOR 2019: $405,000
SEATTLE CANCER CARE ALLIANCE TESTIMONIAL
SAA – TAMPA
Swim Across America Lab
at Moffit Cancer Center,
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (new for 2018)
FOCUS: Immunotherapy clinical trials that will lead to new treatments for patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma that five-year survival rate of less than 5%, and funding for the Adolescent & Young Adult Program addressing the unique concerns of young adults with cancer.
GRANT FOR 2019: $140,000
MOFFITT CANCER CENTER TESTIMONIAL
