Westwood Swimmers, Divers to Take Part in 'Hour of Power' Relay

Editor's Note: The following was submitted to Westwood Patch by Westwood High School's swim team head coach Nicole Carter

It is nearly impossible to find anyone whose life has not been touched by cancer, whether it is through a friend, family member, or even a teammate. The swimmers at  have found one more way to fight back: the sixth annual Ted Mullin “Leave It in the Pool” Hour of Power Relay for Sarcoma Research, sponsored by the Carleton College swimming and diving teams, set for Nov. 8.

Westwood High School joins thousands of athletes from collegiate, high school, and club teams across the nation—as well as student-abroad teams—to participate in the 2011 “Hour of Power” event, honoring those who are fighting or have succumbed to cancer, including former Carleton swimmer Edward H. “Ted” Mullin, who passed away from synovial sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer, in September 2006.

As of Nov. 3, 133 teams with 6,500 athletes have registered for the 2011 “Hour of Power” Relay. These include 92 collegiate swimming programs from 37 conferences and NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as two independents. In addition 41 club, high-school and student-abroad teams will take part. Registration is still underway and more teams are expected to take part.

The event—held in each team’s home pool—is a one-hour, all-out, leave-it-in-the-pool practice consisting of continuous relays, using any stroke.

First held on Nov. 7, 2006 in memory of Carleton College swimmer Ted Mullin, the “Hour of Power” Relay has grown from 15 teams the first year to 146 teams in 2010.

A primary goal of the event is to raise awareness and generate funds for research conducted at the University of Chicago (U of C) into finding treatments and cures for sarcoma, the type of soft-tissue cancer that took the life of Ted Mullin and afflicts the lives of many young people. All teams are invited to get involved in the “Hour of Power” whether or not they decide to raise funds. Since the event began five years ago, participants have raised more than $265,000 for the Ted Mullin Fund for Pediatric Sarcoma Research at the Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago where Ted received treatment. The “Hour of Power” also aims to promote team spirit and to generate awareness of sarcoma, a rare cancer that disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults.

Funds raised during the event act as seed funding for U of C’s pediatric sarcoma research program. The program brings together oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists and physician scientists who have a particular interest in adolescents and young adults with sarcoma, allowing collaborative efforts in the identification of the causes of sarcoma at the most basic molecular and cellular levels.

Interested collegiate, high school and club teams are invited to register for the 2011 “Hour of Power” and find more information at Go.carleton.edu/HourOfPower.

You can also contact Carleton College head coach Andy Clark at aclark@carleton.edu or Rick Mullin at rmullin9@comcast.net.