Thank you for 'Making Waves' at SAA-Baltimore this year! You can still register as an SAA My Way virtual participant and fundraise all year.
Celebrating our 15th year Making Waves to Fight Cancer in our community!
Welcome to the Swim Across America - Baltimore Open Water Swim. Swimmers of all ages and skill levels are invited to take part in our annual event at beautiful High Tide Farm on September 15. Help us fight cancer at the Swim Across America Lab at Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
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Welcome to the Swim Across America - Baltimore Open Water Swim! Established in 2010, SAA - Baltimore has raised over $5 million to support our beneficiary: the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. Thank you for your support of cancer care in Baltimore.
Each year we are proud to host over 450 swimmers and volunteers, spectators and supporters, as well as Olympians near and far at our charity swim. We are so excited to have you join us for our 15th annual swim on September 15th at High Tide Farm!
Whether you are a veteran swimmer or you're looking to do your first open water swim, we welcome you to help us "Make Waves to Fight Cancer."
All swimmers are required to raise at least $500 by event day ($250 if under 18 or current college student).
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 gift on event day. You can learn more about WaveMaker Status here.
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 required to commit to raise at least $5,000. All team members are still required to meet the individual fundraising minimum of their individual swim.
For those who are hesitant about swimming in open water, we are happy to provide an “angel swimmer” to swim the course alongside you. Angel swimmers are experienced open water swimmers who encourage you, keep an eye on you and support you during your swim. If you think you may benefit from having an angel swimmer, please respond yes to the question presented in online registration. You may also reach out to Annie to answer any questions.
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:
Online registration will close 48 hours prior to the swim! Event day registration may still be available if space permits.
All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here. Please bring it with you to the event.
Wetsuits are optional, but strongly encouraged. Water temperatures range from 65-75 degrees in September. Last year the water was a perfect 73 degrees and felt warm. Please read our full wetsuit policy and tips on our Policies Page.
Online Wetsuit Purchase: Orca is an SAA wetsuit partner offering a 20% discount and entry to win a $500 gift card when you shop through our SAA Orca link.
Online Wetsuit Rental: KIT LENDER is offering a 10% discount on any Wetsuit or Kit rental. Round-trip shipping costs are included. Wetsuits start at just $42.60 for the event. Enter coupon code SAABAL0917 at checkout. Orders must be placed by 9/12 to ensure delivery in time for the event.
For swimmers between the ages of 12 and 14, swimmer must be approved by the SAA Baltimore Safety Committee and have a minimum of one of the following:
For approval of swimmers under the age of 12, please contact Annie Applegarth or Marci Benda.
Please review the 2024 SWIMMER AND VOLUNTEER INFO PACKET before the event. It contains important information about the schedule, what to expect and what to bring.
Swim Across America - Baltimore supports cancer research and clinical trials at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hear directly from the doctors you are supporting about why your funding is critical to their research below.
A full timeline of achievements credited to SAA-Baltimore grants and future projects can be found here. Research information for Swim Across America-Baltimore 2023 grants can be found here.
Monies from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Swim events funded groundbreaking research in immunotherapy. In a report of a proof-of-principle study of patients with colon and other cancers for whom standard therapies failed, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center saw that mistakes in so-called mismatch repair genes, first identified by Johns Hopkins and other scientists two decades ago, may accurately predict who will respond to certain immunotherapy drugs known as PD1 inhibitors. Results of the trial with pembrolizumab, marketed as Keytruda, was published by the New England Journal of Medicine on June 25, 2015. On May 23, 2017 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to a treatment for patients whose cancers have a specific genetic feature (biomarker). This is the first time the agency has approved a cancer treatment based on a common biomarker rather than the location in the body where the tumor originated.
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-Baltimore 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.
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.
Land Volunteers staff all aspects of our event on land. You can anticipate helping with set up, swimmer check-in, finish line support, hospitality and post-swim events/clean up.
Water volunteers consist of kayakers, stand-up paddleboarders and power boaters that provide crucial logistical and safety support to our event officials and for our swimmers. They will monitor the swim lane, keep an active eye on all our swimmers and communicate any swimmer issues to our event officials.
Angel Swimmers are experienced open water swimmers who are willing to accompany a nervous swimmer throughout the course. Angel swimmers must be able to swim all distances and help out if the swimmer needs. To register as an angel swimmer, choose “volunteer” and then select Angel Swimmer. The local planning team will have final approval of angel swimmers.
Questions about volunteering? Check out our SAA Volunteer Page or contact Marci Benda.
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!
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 - Baltimore
PO Box 5384
Baltimore, MD 21209
Make sure to include a note with the name of the swimmer you are donating to.
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.
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.
Schedule is tentative and subject to change.
6:00 am: Land Volunteers Arrive
7:00 – 7:45 am: Registration/Check in - There will be no event day changes to swim distance.
7:45 am: Welcome, Ceremony, and Safety Talk
8:00 am: National Anthem
8:15 am: Rolling start of swims based on distance, starting with 3-mile swimmers.
9:00 am: Grab and Go Meals Available for All Volunteers, Swimmers and Water Safety Starts
11:00 am: Everyone Out of the Water
11:30 am: Clean Up Begins
We will once again have the swim at the beautiful High Tide Farm at 5101 Mountain Road, Pasadena, MD 21122. The body of water we will be swimming in is the Redhouse Cove. It is a gorgeous cove with flat water making it very swimmer friendly!
Course map and details coming soon.
This swim is non-competitive, though timing chips will be provided. It is mandatory that all swimmers have the timing chip on their ankle prior to entering the start pen.
For mapping purposes, you can use the address for the 5101 Mountain Road, Pasadena, MD 21122.
From the southern portion of the Baltimore Beltway #695, Take Rt. 10 South and follow signs to Rt. 100 (bears off to the left). Follow signs for Rt. 177 (also known as Mountain Road) and follow for approximately 3.75 miles at which point it bears off to the right (there is a sign & we will have lighted balloons at this location). From that point, it is 1.25 to the site which will be on the right.
There is ample parking in a large flat field at no cost. However, we ask that you consider car pooling to lessen the environmental impact and to avoid traffic congestion on the single lane road. There will be two Policemen to control the traffic from Rt. 177 into the field. Look for lighted filled balloons as you approach the turn into the parking.
University of Maryland Baltimore County - Retriever Activities Center
Date: March 10, 2024
Patterson Pool
Date: July 21, 2024
Hampton Pool
Date: July 13, 2024
Bolton Hill Swim and Tennis
Date: August 24, 2024
L'Hirondelle Club Pool Swim
Date: July 18, 2024
Coppermine Meadowbrook Club
Date: September 8, 2024
Middle Branch Fitness & Wellness Center; and Cahill Recreation Center
Date: October 26, 2024
Starting June 4th, every Tuesday and Wednesday from 6-7 PM, we will be offering coaching for folks who have some swim experience who want to train for the mile. You must be registered for the Baltimore Open Water or Pool swim in order to attend. Training goes through September 4th. Email Annie Applegarth or Amy Nelson for questions or more information.
If you have participated in the training previously, we ask that you don’t join us until June 20 or 21, so that new swimmers can get their feet wet!
Coppermine Meadowbrook Club
5700 Cottonworth Ave
Baltimore, MD 21209
If you'd like to learn more about partnership opportunities, please review the 2024 Partnership Guide or email Annie Applegarth.
Here are some recent stories that display the impact members of the Swim Across America family have had in the Baltimore community.
If you have any questions about SAA - Baltimore, please contact Annie Applegarth or Marci Benda.
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