Swim Across America Holding Charity Event In Long Island
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- About 1.7 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society.
More than 600,000 will die.
Next weekend, people of all ages will take a dip to raise money for a cure. Swim Across America is holding its open water charity swim right here in our area.
Swim Across America started in 1987 with an original swim going across Long Island Sound, and since then, the organization has grown to over 20 charity swims that have raised close to $100 million for cancer research, president and CEO Rob Butcher says.
A swim held in Larchmont on Saturday raised over $1 million. Another swim will be held in Glen Cove on Aug. 3.
Proceeds from the Glen Cove swim will support immunotherapy research at the Swim Across America Laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
"It's an incredible morning. Really, you see wonderful people every year, and more than anything else, there's so much hope that we're getting that much closer to finding a cure. I mean, every dollar that goes to Swim Across America is really, it could be that dollar that gets us to the point of a cure for someone that you love," local participant Mark McCooey said.
For more information about the organization and Saturday's event, visit swimacrossamerica.org.
