Dan here. This is Matt’s fundraising page that he started, below are his words and the reason he started this team. Matt passed on April 24th, 2016 of Ewing’s Sarcoma. He started this team with a goal to raise funds for the place that helped him, his mother Kalany and countless other people fight cancer every day. 

In the last 8 years Team Benoit has raised over $923,000 to support Fred Hutch Cancer Center through this event. This year marks the 16th anniversary of the Seattle event. 

This year I am swimming for my sister Annette Benoit and a young boy named Mark Yenbamroong.  Annette was diagnosed with Breast Cancer this last year and is in treatment. Mark,is a 2 year old boy dealing with a diagnosis of Pineoblastoma, a very rare form of Brain Cancer.  Mark is currently trying to get into a trial that could offer hope with his battle.  

Folks, there is an Annette and Mark every year in all of our lives!  Raising money through events like this really matter and will help us find the cures of the future!. Please consider swimming or volunteering with us this year!

From Matt in 2016 when he started the team.....

Over the past 3+ years, cancer has tried to consume my life. I won't let it, and I absolutely never will.For those of you that don't know me, I'm Matt Benoit. My experience with cancer started with my mother, a 2-time IronMan participant and lifetime non-smoker, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2012. After multiple rounds of intensive treatment at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, she passed away in December 2013. She was 54 years old.After 9 months of mourning the loss of my mom, I received some more bad news. After having a minor stomach ache misdiagnosed, I was sent to the ER during work and told I had cancer. I was devastated. I couldn't even pick up the phone to call my own dad and had to have the ER doctor make the call. This was a week after my 27th birthday and I've having been fighting the disease ever since.While I've enjoyed the immense support from family, friends and even complete strangers during my fight, I know how many other families are going through similar circumstances. I see them in the elevators at the hospital. In the waiting rooms. Shuffling in and out of doctor’s offices. Seeing the common pain and resilience in these patients' eyes as we pass each other that constantly reminds me to never give cancer an inch. This event is potentially my greatest opportunity of telling cancer that no matter my outcome, I will never surrender....

Please support me and those who are fighting this disease by sponsoring my swim and making a gift.The money you give will go towards cancer research, prevention and treatment in our local community. I've participated first hand in the extraordinary advances they are making today which are nothing short of incredible. The sad reality is that if cancer hasn't touched you or a loved one yet, the odds of it happening in your lifetime are very high. Please take the opportunity to do something about it now by joining our army.Thank you for your generosity and may it lead to a cancer-free world!