With the slogan "Making waves to fight cancer" nearly 50 hardy swimmers emerged from the choppy surf onto a windy Crissy Field near the Golden Gate Bridge Saturday afternoon following a daylong, 10-mile relay swim around San Francisco Bay.
It was San Francisco's first "Swim Across America" event to benefit the Survivors of Childhood Cancer Program at UCSF Children's Hospital.
The First Annual San Francisco Bay Swim was organized by the national Swim Across America Inc., an organization which has raised more than $14 million for cancer research during the past 10 years. Saturday's event raised more than $100,000 to benefit pediatric cancer patients at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Those interested in making a donation to Swim Across America or to the Survivors of Childhood Cancer Program at UCSF Children's Hospital may still do so by
visiting the website and clicking on "Donate."
The swimmers included six former Olympians, pediatric oncologist Rob Goldsby, MD, medical director of the Childhood Cancer Program, and Clinical Nurse Coordinator Aimee Sznewajs. Also participating in Saturday's swim was Marieke Kruidering, PhD., assistant adjunct professor of cellular and and molecular pharmacology.
This is "a fabulous day and a wonderful experience," said Goldsby, while standing on the beach at Crissy Field clad in a dripping wet black wet suit. "I think it's great that people came out to swim in the bay to support children with cancer.
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From left, Aimee Sznewajs, Janel Jorgenson and Robert Goldsby emerge from San Francisco Bay at the conclusion of the Swim Across America relay swim on Saturday. |
"Swimming in the bay is hard, but having cancer as a child is really tough. We're doing this for the kids up on the wards who are going through a really tough time right now," he added.
Sznewajs, who is an accomplished swimmer and a member of the Dolphin Club, said upon emerging from the bay that the swim was "inspirational."
"I thought it was so inspirational that all of these people came out to swim to support children with cancer," she said. "Rob and I are inspired by all of the patients we see every day," she added.
The clinic was founded to care for children with cancer, about 70 percent of whom are expected to survive and continue to need medical care. "We need to make sure that these patients remain healthy and are aware of any possible long-term effects," Goldsby said.
The relay swim was staged from the yacht California Spirit and began at 8 a.m., with groups of swimmers swimming for half-hour intervals three to four times throughout the 5-1/2-hour-long swim. Each group of swimmers was accompanied by a kayaker. Use of the 100-foot-long yacht was donated by Signature Hospitality Group.
Dream Come True
Swim Across America was founded in 1987 and today sponsors 11 major open water and pool-based swims in six cities across the country. Saturday's swim was the first-ever Swim Across America, Inc. West Coast event.
The former Olympians who swam on Saturday included Ray Carey, of Menlo Park, a member of the 1996 Olympic team; Jeff Float, of Sacramento, a member of the 1980 and 1984 Olympic teams; Mark Henderson, of San Francisco, a member of the 1996 Olympic team; Susan Heon Preston, of Menlo Park, a member of the 1984 Olympic team; Roque Santos, a member of the 1992 Olympic team; and Janel Jorgensen, of Boston, national executive director of Swim Across America and a member of the 1988 Olympic team. Anne Warner Cribbs, of Palo Alto, a member of the 1960 Olympic team, was an event organizer.
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Children learn tips on swimming during a clinic with Olympians at Bakar Fitness Center at UCSF Mission Bay. |
Jorgensen said mounting a West Coast event was a dream come true. The San Francisco Bay swim is the first 100 percent charity that the group has organized and the first relay swim, she said.
"The words 'thank you' don't come close to expressing my gratitude..." Jorgensen said. "But the real thanks are the smile of the 9-year-old cancer patient at UCSF Children's Hospital. The real thanks are seeing the tangible results from the cancer research being done at the UCSF survivorship clinic... Those are our inspirations and why we do this," Jorgensen said.
Saturday's event was preceded by a tour of the UCSF Children's Hospital by several of the Olympians, including Jorgenson, Float, Henderson, Cribbs and Santos, and by a "swim clinic" for about 50 children ranging in age from 10 years to 18 years from the Martin Luther King Jr. Swimming Pool Swim Club and Swim Team at Third Street and Carroll Avenue in Bayview Hunters Point.
The swim clinic was held at the Bakar Fitness Center at UCSF Mission Bay. At the clinic, some of the youngsters asked the Olympians questions like, "How long does it take to swim across America?"
Jorgensen told the young swimmers that, with determination, anything is possible.
"If you set your goals, it can be very, very hard work. But if you try, great things can happen."
Photos/Barbara Bagot-Lopez
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