Roslindale rower joins Swim Across America to make waves in the fight against cancer

Jaclyn Collins of Roslindale has joined Swim Across America (SAA) to make a splash for pediatric cancer programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center. Collins will row for 24 hours during the July 10 Boston Harbor and July 11 Nantasket Beach swims.

“The swims are a great way for people to come together and participate in a sport they love alongside Olympic swimming legends while raising critical funds for pediatric programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and at MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center,” says 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist Janel Jorgensen McArdle, who is also the president of Swim Across America.

The SAA - Boston Harbor swim is an all-day event beginning at 7 a.m. on Friday, July 10 from Rowes Wharf behind the Boston Harbor Hotel. A minimum fundraising pledge of $1,500 is required for individuals to participate. The one-mile competitive ocean swim at DCR Nantasket Beach in Hull, Mass., starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 11 from the Mary Jeannette Murray Bathhouse. Half-mile swimmers enter the water at 9:15 a.m. All participants must raise a minimum of $250 each.

Swim Across America is a non-profit organization that runs events from Boston to San Francisco to support cancer research at the country’s finest hospitals and institutions. At SAA, money raised locally, stays local, ensuring that swimmers always know the impact that they are making. Proceeds from the Boston-area swims benefit the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at Dana-Farber, where experts help pediatric cancer survivors with an array of issues, including long-term effects of treatment, social and psychological concerns, and the risk of second cancers. Proceeds also benefit the MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center for cancer care and research initiatives that enhance the quality of life for the hospital’s youngest cancer patients

For more information, go to www.swimacrossamerica.org/boston.