Swim Across America Comes to Raleigh!

For 26 years, Swim Across America (SAA) has been raising money for fight cancer. Now, with the support of NC State University, this iconic event is coming to Raleigh on Sept 21, 2013 to hold a fundraising pool swim for the whole Triangle area community! Whether you are on a swim team or just a casual swimmer, join them for a day full of fun, family and swimming!

NC State University has donated the 50m competition pool at the Willis R. Casey Aquatic Center for the event on Saturday, September 21 from 11am-4pm.   The NC State University Swim and Dive Team will be at hand volunteering.

Pool Swim Format
They are replicating an open water course in an indoor pool! All the lane lines will be pulled out and a buoy will be placed at each corner of the pool. 1 lap will equal 150m.

How to Participate
Local swimmers (all levels welcome)  help raise money to fight cancer by getting pledges and signing up for individual swims ranging from 2 miles, 1 mile, ½ mile or sprint distances or participate in other aquatic activities.

Choose Your Event
 SSAwill be offering individual swims, relay swims and aqua aerobics!

Individual Swims

• 2 Mile competitive (under 50 minutes)
• 2 mile (over 50 minutes)
• 1 mile competitive (under 25 minutes)
• 1 mile (over 25 minutes)
• 1/2 mile fun swim
• 1 lap sprints (150m) – these will be grouped according to age and ability

Relays

• (including kids relays, parent-child, and grandparent-child)

Aqua-Aerobics

• 30 minutes aqua-aerobics class
• 1 lap (150m) aqua-run

Water Carnival
After the swim events, there will be a water carnival that will include kayaking, water polo skills demo, and scavenger hunts for kids in addition to a Olympic Clinic run by Sue Walsh, UNC Alumni, Ray Carey, Stanford Alumni, and Craig Beardsley, University of Florida alumni.

About Swim Across America (SAA)
Swim Across America is the inspired sequel to a triumphant Run Across America completed by the two founders of SAA in 1985. This eight-month journey, which spanned the country from Boston to Los Angeles, raised over $1 million for cancer research.

What makes this trek all the more remarkable is that 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 Jeff Keith and Matt 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.

26 Years and $45 Million Later
Twenty Six years later, SAA has raised over $45 million dollars. SAA funds almost two dozen prestigious organizations across the country including Sloan-Kettering in New York, San Francisco Children’s Hospital,  Johns Hopkins, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

This year, Swim Across America is going to help support Dr. Cavanagh’s Research Lab at NC State University.  His laboratory has been able to make chemotherapy regimens up to 1,000x more efficient.