St. Louis Open Water Swim

08.24.24

General Fundraising Requirement:

All swimmers are required to raise at least $300 by event day in order to participate. Swimmers under 18 are required to raise $100 by event day.

WaveMaker Status: $1,000 minimum:

WaveMakers go above and beyond the call of duty by raising at least $1,000. Anyone at any age 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.

Swim as an Individual, or on a Team:

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 inspirational and rewarding for everyone involved with Swim Across America. Teams must have a minimum of 3 swimmers and each swimmer is still required to meet the individual fundraising minimum of $300 ($100 if under 18) in order to participate.

Angel Swimmers

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 Kathy Denton to answer any questions.

Distance Options:

• 0.5 Mile
• 1 Mile
• 2 Mile

Registration Self-Donation:

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:

• Register before June 3 with a registration fee of $50
• Register between June 3 and July 28 with a registration fee of $75
• Register between July 29 and event day with a registration fee of $100

Waiver:

All swimmers and volunteers must complete the waiver found here.

What to Bring

In addition to bringing any donations you have collected, please remember to bring the following items: directions to Innsbrook Resort, a towel, sunscreen, a baseball hat or equivalent to shade your face, sweatshirt, sweatpants, 2 pairs of goggles, disposable camera (optional). Don’t forget a labeled bag that zips to put everything in!

Wetsuit Policy:

Water temperature can vary. Wetsuits have not been necessary or allowed in any of our past swims due to favorable water temperature. Please read our full wetsuit policy 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.

2024 Swimmer Packet:

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.

Since 2016 Swim Across America St. Louis has raised over $1.6 million to support cutting edge research and clinical trials Siteman Cancer Center. SAA’s scientific advisory committee of renowned cancer MDs and PHDs help us select projects and researchers who are the pioneers to curing cancer, and provide seed money to the projects that present the best opportunities for a breakthrough. Read below to learn about the projects SAA St. Louis and its doors and participants have supported in just the last four years.

Read the latest SAA St. Louis impact report here.

2022 GRANT AMOUNT: $250,000
GRANT RECIPIENT: Nusayba A. Bagegni , MD
PROJECT GOAL: Phase II study to further research and prospective trials in breast cancer patients to validate the clinical utility of PAM50 subtyping and personalized treatment selection in ER+/HER2BC, particularly for Black patients.
GRANT RECIPIENT: Neha Mehta-Shah, MD
PROJECT GOAL: Phase I Study for patients with Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL) to understand the mechanisms of response and resistance to EZH2 Inhibitor CPI-0209 (Tulmimetostat) and provide insight into future combined therapies.

2021 GRANT AMOUNT: $200,000
GRANT RECIPIENT: Imran Zoberi, MD
PROJECT GOAL: To reduce the number of required post-lumpectomy radiation treatments for breast cancer patients by determining whether just one treatment of Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation is as safe and effective as the five-treatment standard of care.

2020 GRANT AMOUNT: $140,000
GRANT RECIPIENT: David DeNardo, MD
PROJECT GOAL: Restoring PDAC responsiveness to immunotherapy by targeting conventional dendritic cells.
PROJECT UPDATE: With SAA’s support, we were able to open a new clinical trial for pancreas cancer patients. This trial will test a new set of agents, which we believe can trigger the patient’s own immune system to attack the cancer. These agents were identified as critical for enhancing the ability of the immune system to fight pancreas cancer specifically, which will allow us to directly address the pieces missing in the immune control of pancreas cancer. We are excited about our initial immune impact in the first few patients. Read more about this project which is on “the cusp of a breakthrough” here.

2019 GRANT AMOUNT: $267,000
GRANT RECIPIENT: Mark Schroeder, MD
PROJECT GOAL: To explore whether blood cancer patients who receive blood or marrow transplants experience less Graft versus Host Disease when given baricitinib.
PROJECT UPDATE: To date the study has completed accrual and transplanted all subjects at two dose levels (2mg and 4mg) of baricitinib. No safety or tolerability issues have been identified to date with all subjects having engraftment and there have been no unexpected severe adverse events. Correlative studies of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are ongoing.

Hear directly from the incredible doctors your funds are supporting:

What is SAA MY WAY?

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-St. Louis 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.

SAA MY WAY IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Ways to participate through SAA My Way is only limited by your imagination. SAA-STL supporters and participants Mike Bohm and Tony Martinez were inspired by SAA My Way to organize a “Splash into Spring” Pickleball Tournament. With the help of a team of volunteers, it’s become a successful annual affair, raising over $17,000 in 2023. Other individuals and organizations have contributed by organizing pool swims, wine tastings, jeep and poker runs and other fundraising events.

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.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AT SAA-ST. LOUIS

Set up - This position is for Friday afternoon and entails setting up tables, chairs and tents for the Swim Across America Village. Total shift time 2 hours

Greeter - Welcomes all visitors to the Swim Across America Village and offers information and direction. Early morning position, total shift time 2 hours

Shuttle Driver (Limited to Innsbrook Residents) - Shuttling all visitors to/from the Swim Across America Village. Must supply own golf cart or side-by-side vehicle. Early morning position, total shift time 4 hours, including 1.5 hour break in middle while Swim is taking place

Registration - Checking in Participants for the event. This is an early and fast paced position but so vital to the success of the Event! Total shift time 4 hours, majority sitting

Greeter/Parking - Welcomes all arriving vehicles to the event and directs and helps visitors to park. Early morning position, total shift time 2 hours

Food Table - Feeding our hungry masses of participants breakfast snacks and to-go lunch. Total shift time 4 hours

Swimmer Checkout - Collecting timing chips from all participants as they exit the water and/or handing out bottled water and towels. This is will be at the Swim finish line so you will get to see the event up close! Shift time 2 hours

Wavemaker Tent - Greeting all our special participants who raised over $1,000 and handing out their special ’thank you’ gifts. Early morning position, total shift time 2 hours

Tattoo Tent - Applying temporary tattoos on any participants who want them (Swimmers LOVED to be tattooed!). This is a very fast paced but fun and popular tent. Early morning position, total shift time 3 hours

Security/Lost and Found Tent - Assist participants with checking in any items that they wish to be held for them while they swim. Total shift time 4 hours, sitting

Why I Swim Table - Assist participants in signing memorial pennants or memory stones to honor someone that they are swimming for. Total shift time 4 hours

Take Down - Helping disassemble the tents, tables, and chairs and to clear area after swim. Total shift time 2 hours

Water Volunteer (Limited to Innsbrook Residents) - Positions for Kayakers and Pontoon Boat Captains to provide crucial logistical and safety support throughout the event. Total shift time 2-3 hours

Angel Swimmer - 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. Total shift time 2-3 hours, depending on course length

Questions about volunteering? Check out our SAA Volunteer Page or contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Marc Lindauer.

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!

Click here for a 2024 Swim Across America - St. Louis flyer PDF that you can pass along to others.