In our lifetime, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer. We all eventually feel the effects of this pervasive disease ourselves or on those we love. But, together, we can positively impact the search for a cure in honor of those who have battled cancer.

I am the event director of the Swim Across America - Rhode Island Open Water Swim (SAA-RI), a festive charity swim held annually on the second Saturday of September at scenic Roger Wheeler State Beach in Narragansett. This year's swim is scheduled for September 9, 2023.

Since 2010, this event has raised over $2.2 million to support the Program in Women’s Oncology at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a world-renowned, multidisciplinary facility where researchers and clinicians uncover key answers to the questions of cancer.

Prior SAA-RI funding contributed to the breakthrough discovery of a prognostic biomarker for ovarian cancer and development of a test that is now used worldwide to help improve patient outcomes by enabling earlier detection, diagnoses, and treatment.

This funding underscores the importance of philanthropy to potentially lifesaving or life-altering medical research, including promising studies that have not yet received National Institutes of Health or other government grants.

Every contribution counts, no matter how big or small.

Thank you for your generosity. May it lead to a cancer-free world!