15th Annual Swim
Across America Fairfield County Open
Water Swim Scheduled for August 8,
2021
Swimmers,
Boaters, Volunteers Make Waves in
the Fight Against Cancer
Swim Across America Fairfield
County is #makingwaves to #fightcancer! Celebrating
its 15th year in Fairfield County,
this year’s swim will be held
Sunday,
August 8, 2021. The swim
takes place on the
Greenwich/Stamford border in the
waters of Long Island Sound at the
headquarters of the Swim’s local
beneficiary, Alliance for Cancer
Gene Therapy. There are three
different swim lengths available: a
half-mile, one-and-a-half mile and a
three mile swim. Boaters, kayakers,
paddle boarders and land volunteers
participate in this inspirational
event with close to 300 swimmers and
100 volunteers. To register as a
swimmer or a volunteer, visit
swimacrossamerica.org/fc.
Why does Swim Across America
Fairfield County swim to raise money
in the fight against cancer? Cancer
touches everyone — whether it is a
loved one or a friend, we all know
someone who has been impacted by
cancer. In 2021, it is estimated
that 1.9 million new cases of cancer
will be diagnosed and there will be
608,570 cancer deaths in the U.S.
These staggering statistics offer
compelling proof of the need to
continue devising new approaches to
treatment. Whether it is through
swimming, volunteering, donating or
cheering on loved ones and friends,
Swim Across America Fairfield County
welcomes anyone and everyone who
wants to be a part of the fight
against cancer.
Funds raised by Swim Across America
Fairfield County go directly to
support scientific cancer gene
therapy grants administered by the
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy.
This year’s Alliance for Cancer Gene
Therapy research fellows funded by
Swim Across America Fairfield County
include three world-renowned
researchers studying better ways to
treat pancreatic cancer, pediatric
sarcomas and brain cancer. The
researchers are Sidi Chen, PhD
(Pancreatic cancer), assistant
professor Yale University School of
Medicine Department of Genetics,
System Biology Institute and Cancer
Center; Stephen Gottschalk, MD
(pediatric sarcomas), chair of
the Bone Marrow Transplantation and
Cellular Therapy at St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital; and Noriyuki
Kasahara, MD, PhD (glioblastoma
brain cancer), principal
investigator at the Brain Tumor
Center at the University of
California, San Francisco.
“We are so excited to have our 15th
annual open water swim this summer,”
noted Nancy Carr of Old Greenwich,
co-chair of the event. “In addition
to swimming together on August 8th,
we are continuing the successful
‘SAA My Way’ program that was
created in 2020 in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. ‘SAA My Way’
allows participants to complete any
type of activity they want to help
raise funds to fight cancer. Last
year we had participants walk, run,
bike, synchronize swim and even jump
out of an airplane! We also still
had those who swam last year, albeit
independently or in small groups, as
swimming is still at the core of our
event. This year, we are so thrilled
to be able to have our big group
back together on August 8, but
recognize that some individuals
liked the ‘SAA My Way’ program, so
we wanted to be able to offer both.
In addition, the Summer Olympics
will be happening this summer with
the last day of events on the same
day as our open water swim - the
Olympics provides great inspiration
for those who may want to emulate
some of the Olympic sports as their
contribution to being active and
raising funds for cancer research.”
This year Nancy Carr is joined as a
co-chair for the Swim Across America
event by Cristy Fraser of Old
Greenwich. Cristy is the mother of
Julian Fraser, a 2014 Greenwich High
School graduate and All-American
swimmer and water polo player, who
sadly passed away in 2017 after a
short battle with osteosarcoma.
“I joined the Swim Across America
community so that together, we can
change the outcome of a cancer
diagnosis,” said Cristy Fraser. “In
2019 I swam 1/2 -mile and my husband
Alec and sons Andrew and Matthew,
have swam the three miles since 2016
at least. This year, I am
challenging myself by swimming in
the Fairfield County open water swim
and raising as much money to fight
cancer as I can. I have been so
impressed by Swim Across America
that I decided to accept a gracious
request to be the co-chair for Swim
Across America Fairfield County. I
truly believe that its fundraising
efforts make a difference in our
fight against cancer.”
While Swim Across America is a
national organization and offers 21
open water swims from Boston Harbor
to under the Golden Gate Bridge, and
more than 100 pool swim fundraisers
across the country, its roots are
firmly anchored in Connecticut and
along the shores of Long Island
Sound. Darien, Connecticut,
resident Matt Vossler and his
lifelong friend and college
roommate Jeff Keith founded
Swim Across America in 1987.
Throughout its years, Swim Across
America has raised more than $100
million in the fight against cancer.
More than 120 Olympians support Swim
Across America, including Michael
Phelps, Craig Beardsley, Donna De
Varona (a Greenwich resident and
honorary Fairfield County co-chair),
Rowdy Gaines, Janel Jorgensen
McArdle (who grew up in Ridgefield,
Connecticut), Bobby Hackett, Ryan
Lochte, Glenn Mills, Christina
Teuscher (who participates in the
Fairfield County event) and many
more.
To learn more about Swim Across
America Fairfield County or to
register to swim, volunteer or
donate, visit
swimacrossamerica.org/fc.
About Swim Across America