This is our 25th anniversary year!  Team Anne, now "Anne, Mike and Friends", formed in 1999, months after our daughter, sister, wife and best friend, Anne Schlegel Oliveira lost her fight with Non-Hodgkins' lymphoma.  She died at 31 years, a life in and on the water as a childhood, high school and collegiate swimmer.  Summers at Camp Ak-O-Mak in Ontario allowed for long lake swims (and rows/paddles) and she was a counselor to dozens of young swimmer campers from all over the world.

About 10 years ago, our Bridgeport contingent lost their dad and neighbor, Mike Karpinski, and we joined forces to make our Team a force for cancer research and fun with Swim Across America. This year is also special since I am continuing in treatment at Rush for pancreatic cancer.  I'm hopeful to be able to swim on August 12th as a continued survivor, thanks in good part to the fine treatment I have had at Rush.

Join Us!  Swim with Us! Contribute to SAA in any  amount you can, and come on down to the beach and cheer for us! And cheer for all the others who are all our friends in this unique effort for a wonderful group of cutting edge researchers.  As Anne and Mike would both say, you should have a party every chance you can! 

Yours ,

Steve Schlegel, self-appointed Team Captain, and dad of Anne.