By Torrey Hart on SwimSwam
Swim Across America, which raises money to fund cancer research across the United States through primarily open water benefit swims, reported Friday that it granted a record $4.8 million to its beneficiaries in 2017. An additional $100,00 will be granted through pool swims.
Overall, the organization has raised more than $65 million.
Next year, the program will host 18 swims, including new additions in Denver, CO, and Richmond, VA.
Swim Across America hosts safe and fun swims, which cost about $50,000-$100,000 to organize in some cases, and then donates 70-85% of gross revenue to the designated beneficiary. For open water swims, the organization partners with a beneficiary connected to the local community, and encourages doctors from each beneficiary to participate in or volunteer at the local swim.
Many Olympians have also participated in the swims, and some, along with collegiate swimmers, act as “angel swimmers” who swim side-by-side with participants.
While there are about 20 facilities who have benefitted from swims nationwide, there are nine designated Swim Across America research labs:
- Children’s Healthcare Of Atlanta
- Johns Hopkins Medicine
- Chicago Rush University Medical Center
- Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Cancer Support Team
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Feinstein Institute of North Shore, University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital
- UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco
- Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
- Moffit Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Swim Across America Raises Record $4.8 Million in 2017