St. Louis Open Water Swim

08.26.23

General Fundraising Requirement:

All swimmers are required to raise at least $300 by event day. Swimmers under 18 are required to raise $100 by event day.

WaveMaker Status: $1,000 minimum:

WaveMakers go above and beyond the call of duty by raising at least $1,000 regardless of your age. Anyone can achieve WaveMaker status - swimmers, volunteers or SAA My Way participants. WaveMakers get special recognition and an exclusive WM gift on event day. You can learn more about WaveMaker Status here.

Swim as an Individual, or on a Team:

A person may elect to swim alone, or be part of a team. Many colleagues and college alumni will form teams, or teams may be formed in honor or memory of a loved one. All teams are inspirational and rewarding for everyone involved with Swim Across America. Teams must have a minimum of 3 swimmers and each swimmer is still required to meet the individual fundraising minimum of $300 ($100 if under 18).

Distance Options:

• 0.5 Mile
• 1 Mile
• 2 Mile

Registration Self-Donation:

Swimmers will be asked to kickstart your fundraising and let your supporters know you are personally committed to the mission of SAA. The registration self-donation is a 100% tax deductible donation that will be will be credited towards each swimmer's fundraising minimum. The minimum self-donation amount will change as follows:

• Register before May 29 with a registration fee of $50
• Register between May 29 and July 30 with a registration fee of $75
• Register between July 31 and event day with a registration fee of $100

Online registration will close 48 hours prior to the swim! Event day registration may still be available if space permits.

Waiver:

All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here.

What to Bring

In addition to bringing any donations you have collected, please remember to bring the following items: directions to Innsbrook Resort, a towel, sunscreen, a baseball hat or equivalent to shade your face, sweatshirt, sweatpants, 2 pairs of goggles, disposable camera (optional). Don’t forget a labeled bag that zips to put everything in!

Wetsuit Policy:

Water temperature can vary. Please read our full wetsuit policy on our Policies Page.

Since 2016 Swim Across America St. Louis has raised $1,300,000 to support cutting edge research and clinical trials Siteman Cancer Center. SAA’s scientific advisory committee of renowned cancer MDs and PHDs help us select projects and researchers who are the pioneers to curing cancer, and provide seed money to the projects that present the best opportunities for a breakthrough. Here are the projects SAA St. Louis and its doors and participants have supported in just the last three years:

2021 GRANT AMOUNT: $200,000
GRANT RECIPIENT: Imran Zoberi, MD
PROJECT GOAL: To reduce the number of required post-lumpectomy radiation treatments for breast cancer patients by determining whether just one treatment of Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation is as safe and effective as the five-treatment standard of care.

2020 GRANT AMOUNT: $140,000
GRANT RECIPIENT: David DeNardo, MD
PROJECT GOAL: Restoring PDAC responsiveness to immunotherapy by targeting conventional dendritic cells.
PROJECT UPDATE: With SAA’s support, we were able to open a new clinical trial for pancreas cancer patients. This trial will test a new set of agents, which we believe can trigger the patient’s own immune system to attack the cancer. These agents were identified as critical for enhancing the ability of the immune system to fight pancreas cancer specifically, which will allow us to directly address the pieces missing in the immune control of pancreas cancer. We are excited about our initial immune impact in the first few patients.

2019 GRANT AMOUNT: $267,000
GRANT RECIPIENT: Mark Schroeder, MD
PROJECT GOAL: To explore whether blood cancer patients who receive blood or marrow transplants experience less Graft versus Host Disease when given baricitinib.
PROJECT UPDATE: To date the study has completed accrual and transplanted all subjects at two dose levels (2mg and 4mg) of baricitinib. No safety or tolerability issues have been identified to date with all subjects having engraftment and there have been no unexpected severe adverse events. Correlative studies of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are ongoing.

You can read about these projects in more detail here, and hear directly from the incredible doctors your funds are supporting:

What is SAA MY WAY?

SAA My Way is our virtual offering where you decide your activity and timeline. Register with a $50 self-donation and we’ll send you an SAA Swag Bag to show off your spirit. All donations raised for your My Way will support our SAA-St. Louis event. Click here to learn about all the ways you can have fun your way!

To sign up as an SAA My Way participant for our event, click the register button above and select 'SAA My Way' as your participation type.

SAA MY WAY IN YOUR COMMUNITY

MIKE BOHM & TONY MARTINEZ

SAA-STL supporters and participants Mike Bohm and Tony Martinez were inspired by SAA My Way to organize a “Splash into Spring” Pickleball Tournament. With the help of a team of volunteers, they raised a total of over $20,000. Other individuals and organizations have contributed by organizing wine tastings, poker runs and other fundraising events.

Volunteers are the backbone of the Swim Across America Family ensuring our event run smoothly from beginning to end. Even if you aren’t a swimmer, you can still help us in the fight against cancer. Don’t forget, volunteers can fundraise too if they want! Ready to volunteer with us? Click on the Register button and select the Volunteer participation type.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT SAA-ST. LOUIS

Set up - This position is for Friday afternoon and entails setting up tables, chairs and tents for the Swim Across America Village. Total shift time 2 hours

Greeter - Welcomes all visitors to the Swim Across America Village. You will also be handing out cards which have all Event Day Information (maps, schedule of events). Early morning position, total shift time 2 hours

Shuttle Driver (Limited to Innsbrook Residents) - Shuttling all visitors to/from the Swim Across America Village. Early morning position, total shift time 4 hours, including 1.5 hour break in middle while Swim is taking place

Registration - Checking in Participants for the event. This is an early and fast paced position but so vital to the success of the Event! Total shift time 3 hours, sitting

Greeter/Parking - Welcomes all visitors to the Swim Across America Village and directing and helping them to park. Early morning position, total shift time 2 hours

Food Table - Feeding our hungry masses of participants breakfast snacks. Total shift time 4 hours

Swimmer Checkout - Handing out bottled water and towels to Participants as they exit the water. This is will be at the Swim finish line so you will get to see the event up close! Shift time 2 hours

Wavemaker Tent - Greeting all our special participants who raised over $1,000 and handing out their special ’thank you’ gifts. Early morning position, total shift time 2 hours

Tattoo Tent - Applying temporary tattoos on any participants who want them (Swimmers LOVED to be tattooed!). This is a very fast paced but fun and popular tent. Early morning position, total shift time 3 hours

Security/Lost and Found Tent - Assist participants with checking in any items that they wish to be held for them while they swim. Total shift time 4 hours, sitting

Why I Swim Table - Assist participants in signing a lab coat that will be given to a Siteman doctor or helping participants sign a memory stone to honor someone that they are swimming for. Total shift time 4 hours

Take Down - Helping disassemble the tents, tables, and chairs and to clear area. Total shift time 1.5 hours

Water Volunteer (Limited to Innsbrook Residents) - Positions for Kayakers, Pontoon Boat Captains, and Master Diver to provide crucial logistical and safety support throughout the event. Total shift time 2-3 hours

Questions about volunteering? Check out our SAA Volunteer Page or contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Marc Lindauer.

If this is your first time participating or if you just need some tips to be a better fundraiser, click here. It will walk you through the participant center and teach you how to email donors, share on social media sites and download the fundraising app. You can find more helpful resources on our fundraising resources page.

NEW! Watch these instructional videos to learn how to register, update your participant center, connect to Facebook and more!

2023 Flyer Coming Soon! You can also click here for a pdf about the Swim Across America event that you can pass along to others.

Be a WaveMaker by taking your fundraising to the next level and raising $1000! Anyone can achieve WaveMaker status - swimmers, volunteers or SAA My Way participants. WaveMakers get special recognition and an exclusive WM gift on event day. You can learn more about WaveMaker Status here.

You may support the swimmer of your choice by making an online donation. Or you may send a check, payable to Swim Across America, to the address below:

Swim Across America - St. Louis
PO Box 490
O'Fallon, IL 62269

Make sure to include a note with the name of the swimmer you are donating to.

SAA Safety & Policies:

Participant safety is the most important component of all our events. All swimmers will be asked to follow specific safety procedures and policies to participate, as well as comply with SAA safety personnel, including local and government entities, Lifeguards, and water safety volunteers. Participants are responsible for adequately preparing for their registered event. We ask that all participants review the information packet provided in advance of event day, as well as attend the day-of safety briefing for important safety information.

Waiver:

All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here.

If you have questions about our policies regarding inclement weather, swim equipment or wetsuits, please consult our Policies page.

Wetsuits: Orca is an SAA wetsuit partner offering a 20% discount on all Orca purchases with code SAA20.

Schedule is tentative and subject to change.

6:45-7:45 am: Swimmer Registration & Check-in

7:30-8:15 am: Team Photos at arch (first come, first served)

8:00 am: Angel Swimmer Orientation & pairing up with swimmers (next to Wavemakers Tent)

8:20 am: Swimmer Safety Talk at Main Stage (Please be prompt!)

8:30 am: Greetings / Olympian introductions

8:40 am: Check presentation to Siteman Cancer Center

8:45 am: Award Presentations

8:50 am: “Why I Swim”

9:00 am: National Anthem / 2 Mile Swim Starts

9:10 am: 1 Mile Swim Starts

9:20 am: 0.5 Mile Swim Starts

Swim Across America - St. Louis is held at Innsbrook Resort, which includes 7,500 acres of recreational and residential properties, an event center, a restaurant, a recreational commons, two restaurants and an 18-hole public golf course. The site of the SAA event will be on Alpine Lake, the largest of Innsbrook’s 100 lakes.

Course Maps

There will be 0.5 mile, 1 mile, and 2 mile distance options for the swim in 2023.

2023 Course Map coming soon! 2022 Course Map:

Transportation and Parking:

Parking will be available at the venue. Enter the main entrance at Innsbrook (see directions below) and follow the signs to Alpine Lake or this resort direction map.

Directions:

From St. Louis
Take Interstate 70 west to the Innsbrook/Wright City exit (Exit 200). Go left over I-70 and across the railroad tracks. Turn right onto Highway F and follow it for five miles to the main Innsbrook entrance (on your left).

From Chesterfield
Take Highway 40 west to Interstate 70 west; take the Innsbrook/Wright City exit (Exit 200). Go left over I-70 and across the railroad tracks. Turn right onto Highway F and follow it for five miles to the main Innsbrook entrance (on your left).

From Kansas City
Take Interstate 70 east to the first Wright City exit (Exit 199); turn right at the top of the exit; then left on the South Outer Road. Make a right at the stop sign. Turn right onto Highway F. Follow Highway F for five miles to the main Innsbrook entrance (on your left).

PLEASE NOTE: Innsbrook Resort has several different entrances, and mobile mapping apps may send you to one of the gates that is unattended. Please make sure you are being directed to the main entrance on Highway F, as described above.

Places to Stay:

Innsbrook Resort offers rentals of condominiums, chalets and luxury homes for weekend or extended use. For more information, go to www.innsbrookvacations.com or email dane@innsbrookvacations.com. Hotel accommodations are also available in Wentzville (east of Innsbrook) and Warrenton (west), both of which are 20-25 minutes from the event site on Alpine Lake.

Interested in Partnering with SAA - St. Louis?

Swim Across America - St. Louis welcomes individual and corporate partners to join with us in creating a memorable event for an important cause — benefiting the Siteman Cancer Center. If you have an interest in being a partner for this event, please review this guide or contact Kathy Denton if you have more questions or inquiries.