10th Annual Swim Across America Atlanta Makes Waves to Fight Cancer

Swim Across America Atlanta is #makingwaves to #fightcancer! Celebrating its 10th year in Atlanta, this year’s swim will be held Saturday, September 24, 2022, at Lake Lanier Olympic Park. There are three different swim distances available: a half-mile, one-mile, and a three-mile swim to help raise money to fight childhood cancer. Boaters, kayakers, paddle boarders, and land volunteers dive in and participate in this inspirational event with hundreds of swimmers, volunteers, spectators and supporters as well as Olympic swimmers. Funds raised benefit the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. To learn more, visit swimacrossamerica.org/atlanta.

While Swim Across America nationally is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, Swim Across America Atlanta has been making waves to fight cancer since 2013. The Atlanta event has raised more than $2.6 million for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Recent funds raised have supported leukemia research led by Dr. Douglas Graham, chief of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, and his team of researchers.

New this year at the open water swim event is the presentation the first-ever Amazing Grace Bunke Award. Grace Bunke of Marietta, Georgia, battled osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer and sadly passed away at age 14 in 2018. Grace underwent multiple forms of treatments including a partial leg amputation and two lung operations. Grace never let cancer stop her and she quickly excelled at swimming, earning her Paralympic cap and a role on her high school varsity swim team as a freshman. This award honors Grace Bunke’s positive attitude, fearless determination, and infinite spirit. The purpose of this award is to remember that “Hope has no finish line.” Grace was deeply loved and admired, and this award represented her passion as well as her commitment that Swim Across America participants and its supporters embrace to swim, volunteer, and fundraise to Make Waves to Fight Cancer. Grace’s mother Vicki Bunke is also carrying on Grace’s legacy and last year swam in 14 Swim Across America open water swims across the nation and will be back at the Atlanta event on September 24 with Team Amazing Grace.

Other inspiring swimmer and volunteer stories include top fundraisers:

Scot Davis with Team Swim Atlanta. Team Swim Atlanta is one of the largest teams with more than 70 members, and a couple Olympic swimmers, including Amanda Weir. The team has already raised $58,161 and Scot Davis has personally raised $25,895 of that amount! Many of Team Swim Atlanta members include Swim Across America Atlanta Junior Advisory Board members who are area teens who have devoted themselves to raising funds for cancer research. Some of the Junior Advisory Board members on Team Swim Atlanta include 16 year-old Maggie Robinson, who is swimming for her Mom, a cancer survivor, 17 year-old Emma Livezey, who is swimming in honor of her sister Amelia, a cancer survivor, and 15 year-old Prielle Zaft, who is swimming in memory of her family friend Jeremy Brown, who lost his battle to cancer in 2020.

Chris Weissman with Team HIES (Holy Innocents) has a goal of raising $8,000 dollars. The team is currently at $21,709, with Chris personally raising more than $16,000! Team HIES is in honor of Coach B, who passed away four years ago due to lung cancer. She was a beloved PE teacher and coach at HIES for 31 years.

Rik Parker with Team KPMG ATL has been growing out his hair since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 26 months and many inches past his shoulders. Many of his colleagues, family, and friends would like to see the ponytail make its way out the door, and Rik has pledged that if he raised $5,000 in donations, he would match that amount and donate his hair to an organization that will provide wigs to cancer patients in need. Rik is currently at $5,000+ in donations, so will be saying goodbye to his long hair soon!

This year will be Mark Carver's seventh year swimming in the Swim Across America Atlanta event. Mark is dedicating his swim in the memory of his mother, Cynthia Carver, and his D&B friends Mark Mulcahy, Joe Fioravanti and Mike Fortney. Mark has raised more than $3,000 so far for Saturday's swim.

There are many other inspiring "Why I Swim" and "Why I Volunteer" stories with Swim Across America Atlanta. Not to be left out are the dedicated co-chairs of this year’s Swim Across America Atlanta event, Alison Millsaps and Nicole Schwartz, who have dedicated ten years to "making waves to fight cancer."

“We are so excited to have our 10th annual open water swim this summer,” noted Alison Millsaps, co-chair of the event. “Having our Atlanta community, Olympic swimmers and friends and family all come together to make a difference in the fight against cancer makes this swim one of our most favorite days of the year.”

“We welcome swimmers of all ages and abilities, as well as non-swimmers to help with on the land and on the water,” noted Nicole Schwartz, co-chair of the swim. “And you can still participate even if you can’t be with us on September 24th by donating or participating with a Swim Across America My Way activity, where you can do anything you want to help raise funds in the fight against cancer.”

The Swim Across America Atlanta event also has deep Olympic roots that go beyond its location at Lake Lanier Olympic Park. The Atlanta swim was originally started by Olympic swimmers Daniel Watters, who had participated in other Swim Across America events and wanted to bring the inspiring movement to Atlanta. Daniel recruited Sheri Hart to spearhead the Atlanta event. Since that time, Swim Across America Atlanta has had incredible Olympian support from Olympic swimmers including Craig Beardsley, Carlton Bruner, Maritza Correia McClendon, Nei-Kuan Chia, Hali Flickinger, Missy Franklin, Geoff Gaberino, Andrew Gemmell, Doug Gjertsen, Bobby Hackett, Courtney Shealy Hart, McClain Hermes, Katie Hoff, Joe Hudepohl, Janel Jorgensen McArdle, Kristy Kowal, Kara Lynn Joyce, Steve Lundquist, Megan Neyer, Heather Petri, Ramon Valle, Neil Versfeld, Shannon Vreeland, Amanda Weir, Ashley Whitney, Peter Wright, Eric Wunderlich, Paige Zemina Northcutt and Paralympic swimmer Mallory Weggemann (who is pregnant with her first child and will be swimming with Vicki Bunke of Team Amazing Grace on September 24th). Each Olympic athlete has their own story as to why they got involved with the swim - some with their own cancer journey or having a loved one or friend impacted by cancer.

Founded in 1987 and celebrating 35 years of making waves to fight cancer this year, Swim Across America holds 24 open water swims across the country, from Boston to under the Golden Gate Bridge. The organization has an interesting history as it started with a sunken boat in Long Island Sound at its first-ever open water swim and turned it into $100 million raised to fight cancer over the years. Swim Across America funding has contributed to four FDA approved life-saving immunotherapy treatments: Yervoy, Opdivo, Tecentriq, and Keytruda, and supports research with more than 60 scientific grants funded each year.

Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers nationwide and more than 150 past and current Olympians, Swim Across America is helping find a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more visit swimacrossamerica.org/atlanta.