Sunshine Saturday morning June 27th after a torrential thunder storm Friday evening provided incredible encouragement to the swimmers at the 3rd annual Swim from Greenwich to Stamford. More than 170 swimmers, over 50 boaters and kayakers, and many land volunteers and spectators appeared on schedule. All were cheered or cheering at the finish line where Long Island Sound meets the lawn of the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy.

The event was a huge success, raising $290,000 for the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy so far, with more coming in every day. It’s never too late to contribute! Because the event was underwritten by John and Cindy Sites, every dollar goes to continue the research conducted by Dr. Khalid Shah at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Shah, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and recipient of an ACGT Young Investigator Award, is exploring gene therapy alternatives for the treatment of brain tumors.

“The water was warm, calm and beautiful,” said Karen Newman, an Old Greenwich resident and swimmer. This was the third year Karen has participated in the swim – the first year she participated because of her love of swimming and her participation as a triathlete. The past two years, Karen has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer, so the swim is even more personal to her now. Karen swam with a team of friends, which called themselves ‘Team Live for Today.’ “You just feel like it’s a gift to be here,” said Newman. “Everyone has challenges in life. I just have a couple more.”

Many cancer survivors swam, along with those who swam in honor or in memory of a cancer patient. Their heartfelt comments were handwritten on a large white board [photo] on the lawn. Awards and refreshments were presented and a celebratory feeling was generated by the efforts of so many for such a worthwhile cause. It was a picturesque, memorable and emotional morning for everyone attending.

In addition to the open water swims, this was the first year that a pool swim was offered for those that preferred to pledge their support in a pool. Most swimmers opted for the open water swim, including a group of young children that swam the half-mile portion. Caroline Conrod of Greenwich, 8-1/2 years old, swam for the second year in a row. Last year, she swam when she was only 7-1/2 years old – the youngest swimmer to ever participate in the Greenwich to Stamford Swim. Next year, the Greenwich to Stamford Swim promises to be even bigger and better, with a possible 5-mile open water swim added to the 1/2 mile and 1-1/2 mile swims.

Honorary event co-chairs of the Greenwich to Stamford Swim were Cindy and John Sites, Reuben and Arlene Mark, and Donna de Varona and her husband John Pinto, all of Greenwich. The Sites have supported the Greenwich/Stamford Swim since its inception. Olympic swimming champion Donna de Varona was a world record holder in the 400 Individual Medley and the youngest member of the 1960 Olympic Games U.S. Swim Team, at 13 years old in Rome, Italy.

ACGT, founded by Greenwich residents Edward and Barbara Netter, is the only non-profit organization in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to funding cancer gene therapy research for all types of cancer. Swim Across America, co-founded by friends Matt Vossler and Jeff Keith in 1987, has raised close to $700,000 for ACGT in the last three years. Nationwide, Swim Across America has raised more than $25 million to support cancer research for Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT), Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, UCSF Children’s Hospital, the Loyola Cancer Center and other charities.