Record-Smashing 30th Year For Swim Across America LI Sound Fundraising

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — A special anniversary for one of the Hudson Valley's most effective organizations, also ended up being the group's most successful.

Hundreds of swimmers gave their all this summer at Swim Across America Long Island Sound chapter’s open-water and seven pool events. The events raised a record-breaking $1.64 million for local cancer research, prevention and treatment.

Swim Across America Long Island Sound chapter was founded thirty years ago with only 17 swimmers, who raised $15K for the cause. Since 1992, the chapter has grown to be the organization’s largest. The community of swimmers now have raised over $23 million dollars to help save lives.

SEE ALSO:

• A Little History: 30 Years of Swim Across America Long Island Sound
• Swim Across America Helped Fund That Trial With 100 Percent Cancer Remission
• LI Sound Swim For A Cause Sets A New High Water Mark
• Chappaqua Swim & Tennis Raises $30K+ For Swim Across America

"Unfortunately, everyone knows someone who has cancer or has lost a loved one to the disease," the chapter's Executive Director Tony Sibio explained. “We at SAA-LIS are a family of incredibly dedicated swimmers, kayakers, and volunteers, who participate year after year because we know we play a key role in helping to eradicate cancer forever. I couldn’t be more proud or thankful to our participants who over the years have continued to bring hope to those battling cancer."

The fundraising activities of SAA-LIS have already had a profound impact. The chapter was instrumental in funding some of the most exciting cancer news this year with the announcement of a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering which was published in The New England Journal of Medicine and showed a 100 percent success rate in treating patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer with dostarlimab, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was funded by early-stage grant funding from the Long Island Sound chapter.

Proceeds from the swims support the Swim Across America research lab, Dr. Luis Diaz and the MSK Kids Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; pediatric oncology research at Morgan Stanley Columbia University Medical Center; and patient services with Cancer Support Team.

Although the swim season is officially over for 2022, donations are always welcome and can be sent to SAA-Long Island Sound, P.O. Box 217, Larchmont, NY 10538.

"SAA-LIS has come a long way in the past three decades, but we won’t stop swimming and fighting until cancer is gone for good," Sibio said.

About Swim Across America

Swim Across America, Inc. was founded in 1987 and has raised over $100 million for cancer research and prevention programs at the country’s finest hospitals and managed-care facilities. Since Swim Across America’s inception, it has grown from having a single event in Nantucket to 22 open water benefit swims across the country.

The Long Island Sound chapter was started in 1992 and has grown to be the largest in the organization, having raised over $23 million since its inception.

For more information about Swim Across America Long Island chapter, please call 914-769-8411 or visit www.swimacrossamerica.org/long.