Oct. 1, 2012

BALTIMORE, MD - This past September, the Johns Hopkins men's and women's swim teams participated in the annual Swim Across American and raised nearly $15,000 for the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. The Blue Jays fundraised in honor of Alec Cosgarea, who passed away in a car accident this past summer. Cosgarea swam at both McDonogh School and the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.

JHU was represented by 45 swimmers and was the top fundraising team for the Baltimore Pool event this year. To date, JHU has raised $14,967, surpassing its total of $11,341 from the 2011 event. Senior Kristen Ferriero and freshman Taylore King led the way for Hopkins, raising $1,500 and $1,300 respectively.

The event took place at the Meadowbrook Aquatic and Fitness Club on September 23 as hundreds of swimmers turned out for the third annual event in Baltimore. The swimmers took turns swimming a mile in the pool and to date the Baltimore Pool Swim has raised $103, 050.52.

Swim Across America, Inc., (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers nationwide and past and current Olympians, SAA is helping find a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. 2012 marks the 25th year of SAA and to date has raised over $40 million for cancer research, prevention and treatment.

The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC) at Johns Hopkins. Since its inception in 1973, the SKCCC has become one of the most prestigious and advanced cancer centers in the world. Dedicated to understanding human cancer and finding more effective treatments, its scientists were the first to map a cancer genome, deciphering the genetic blueprints for colon, breast, pancreatic, and brain cancers. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists have cracked the genetic code of more than 10 different forms of cancer, more than any other research team in the world - These discoveries have paved the way for personalized therapies. Among its many ground-breaking achievements, SKCCC researchers were among the first to perform bone marrow transplants to treat blood and immune-forming cancers and also were among the first to develop therapeutic cancer vaccines.