Swim Across America, the nonprofit organization that makes waves to fight cancer by holding charity swims across the nation, will host its 20th annual Swim Across America – Fairfield County open water swim on Saturday, June 20 2026, in Dolphin Cove in Stamford, at 96 Cummings Point Road, on the Greenwich/Stamford border.
The event welcomes swimmers of all ages and skill levels to help make waves to fight cancer, with proceeds benefiting Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT), headquartered in Stamford, and the nation’s only nonprofit dedicated to funding cancer cell and gene therapy. Participants may choose from a 1/2-mile, 1.5-mile, or 3-mile swim course, and children ages 11-years-old and younger can participate in a fun Kids’ Splash along the shore, as well as enjoy other Kids’ Splash zone activities like face painting, tattoos, arts and crafts, and a visit by Dash the Dolphin, Swim Across America’s mascot. There is also a “SAA My Way,” virtual option for those who are unable to participate in-person on June 20.
For registration and volunteer opportunities (land and water), or to support the swim with a tax-deductible donation, visit swimacrossamerica.org/fc.
Established in 2007, Swim Across America – Fairfield County has raised more than $8.2 million for its local beneficiary ACGT, supporting dozens of cancer research grants supporting better treatments and clinical trials for brain cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, osteosarcoma, melanoma, pancreatic, lung cancer, solid tumors, and this year, ovarian cancer. Each year, the event proudly hosts more than 250 swimmers, and hundreds of volunteers, spectators and supporters, as well as Olympic swimmers for this inspiring community swim.
“For this 20th year of making waves,, we’re aiming to make our biggest impact yet,” said Nancy Carr, event director of Swim Across America – Fairfield County. “This is truly a community effort where everyone makes a difference — in and out of the water – driving us towards a record-breaking year in the fight against cancer. Volunteers and younger participants amplify their impact by fundraising alongside our most seasoned swimmers. A middle school student is currently our top fundraiser.”
Special recognition will be given to longtime swimmers Craig Lawrence of Redding, Connecticut, whose sister Kimberly Lawrence Netter, sadly passed away from breast cancer in 2001, and who was the inspiration behind Greenwich residents Barbara and Edward Netter founding ACGT. Craig has swum 1.5 to 3-miles every single year and now swims with his teenage son Graham, who has also been a part of the swim since he was a baby. Old Greenwich residents Rob and Julie Colligan, who also swim (Rob swims 3-miles and Julie has done various distances, as well as managing more than 100+ volunteers as the event’s volunteer coordinator), will also be honored. The Colligans, along with their two children, have been a constant presence at the swim throughout the years.
Darien resident Matt Vossler, who started Swim Across America in 1987, 20 years before the Fairfield County swim began, is also a constant with the swim. Beyond Matt’s incredible depth of knowledge about all things Swim Across America, he also heads up the safety team and is on the beach every year counting down for the swimmers to enter the water.
Other veterans include longtime volunteers Roberta Bass of Greenwich, Julie Gibian of Old Greenwich, Wendy Probert of Westport, and longtime boating and safety team members Jim Gibian and John Palmer of Old Greenwich, and others who have helped steer the event safely year after year.
Also recognized will be top fundraiser and 3-mile swimmer Peter (Pete) Carlson, Jr., of Riverside, who is team captain of the largest team participating in the swim, Team Julian, which is in memory of Julian Fraser, a Greenwich High School four-time High School All-American and captain of the GHS swimming and water polo teams, who sadly succumbed to a brief battle with sarcoma in 2017 at just age 20. Pete and his wife Sue as well as their entire family have been part of the Swim Across America family since its early days.
This year’s featured ACGT researcher supported by Swim Across America – Fairfield County is Joseph Fraietta, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, whose work is focused on developing new treatments for ovarian cancer. Fraietta will attend the swim and represent the cutting-edge research being advanced through the local support of the swim.
Also attending will be Laurie Adami, a CAR T–cell therapy recipient who is alive today after a decade-long battle with follicular lymphoma (a non-Hodgkin lymphoma) because of the breakthrough treatment she received. Early CAR T-cell clinical trials were funded by ACGT, making her story a powerful reminder of how today’s donations can help create tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
“For 20 years, Swim Across America – Fairfield County has brought together families, friends and neighbors to turn the tide against cancer,” noted Nancy Carr. “What began as a local charity swim has grown into a beloved community tradition that continues to send hope, momentum and critical funding straight to the front lines of cancer research. There isn’t a person among us who hasn’t been touched by cancer. I hope that everyone comes out to join us on Saturday, June 20th, for the 20th annual open water swim.”
Nationally, Swim Across America has raised more than $150 million for cancer research since its founding in 1987 and has helped fund clinical trials that contributed to the FDA-approved cancer immunotherapy medications Keytruda, Opdivo, Yervoy and Tecentriq. In the past year, Swim Across America funded a breakthrough clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering that showed that immunotherapy alone could successfully treat certain types of cancer. The organization also recently awarded two first-of-its-kind gene editing innovation grants to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, advancing novel CRISPR gene and base editing techniques used in targeted therapies, immunotherapies and cellular therapies. Swim Across America supports more than 60 cancer research projects annually, has eight named Swim Across America labs, and supports work at many of the nation’s leading cancer institutions.
Swimmers, volunteers, boaters and donors are encouraged to register or give today at swimacrossamerica.org/fc.
Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With open water and pool swims in 27 communities across the United States – from Nantucket to under the Golden Gate Bridge – Swim Across America, along with the help of thousands of swimmers and volunteers nationwide, and past and current Olympians, is helping find better treatments and a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more, visit swimacrossamerica.org.