Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
Janel Jorgensen McArdle, President and Chief Executive Officer of Swim Across America will soon turn over the reins of the greatest swimming-focused charity event organization to Rob Butcher, currently the Executive Officer of United States Masters Swimming.
McArdle sent out her last annual report and it was typical in its mind-blowing information. She described the results of Swim Across America events by the following:
* 53,437 donations were received in 2014
* US$6,271,399 total was received in 2014
* 1,107 volunteers helped in 2014
* 7,191 total participants in 2014
* US$4,523,638 total was donated to cancer research in 2014
The money raised at the Swim Across America events led to the following institutions receiving valuable funds:
* Aflac Cancer Center (Georgia) US$195,000
* Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (Connecticut) US$310,000
* Baylor Cancer Center (Texas) US$450,000
* Cancer Support Team (New York) US$438,000
* Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (New York) US$145,000
* Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (Caliornia) US225,000
* Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories (New York) US$80,000
* Dana Farber Cancer Institute (Massachusetts) US$150,000
* Feinstein Institute for Medical Research (New York) US$65,000
* Fighting Chance (New York) US$80,000
* John Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (Maryland) US$375,000
* Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (Massachusetts) US$150,000
* Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York) US$500,000
* Moffitt Cancer Center (Florida) US$190,000
* Nantucket Cottage Hospital (Massachusetts) US$110,000
* New York Presbyterian – Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital (New York) US$125,000
* Palliative & Supportive Care of Nantucket (Massachusetts) US$70,000
* Rush Cancer Center (Illinois) US$285,000
* Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (Washington) US$190,000
* UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital (California) US$225,000
* Women and Infants Hospital (Rhode Island) US$100,000
* Other additional institutions US$65,638
In the report, the story of Dr. Susan Helmrich is showcased [see below]. A survivor of vaginal cancer, lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer over a 38-year period, Dr. Helmrich also serves as the co-director of the Swim Across America event in San Francisco that raised US$550,000 in 2014. “I love Swim Across America,” says Dr. Helmrich with a deep-seated passion. “I love being able to support an organization that raises money for all types of cancer and all types of cancer research. To be able to combine my passion for swimming and fundraising efforts to support this cause is why I am so involved.”
McArdle and her staff and army of volunteers helped organize the following open water swims in 2014:
* Atlanta on May 3rd
* Tampa Bay on May 30th
* Dallas on May 30th
* Greenwich on June 27th
* Boston on July 10th
* Hamptons on July 11th
* Nantasket Beach on July 11th
* Chicago on July 25th
* Long Island Sound on July 25th
* Sound to Cove on August 8th
* Nantucket Island on August 22nd
* Rhode Island on September 12th
* Seattle on September 12th
* Baltimore on September 20th
* San Francisco on September 27th
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association