This is the 20th year I am participating in a Swim Across America event. I began with the Long Island event in 2003 and continue to swim in that event every year while I helped start the Tampa event back in 2011. In Tampa, we have raised over $1.7M for Moffitt Cancer Center! I am so proud to be part of such an incredible cause as the monies raised go directly to Metastatic Melanoma research and Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care at Moffitt and Johns Hopkins Childrens Cancer Care Center in St. Petersburg FL. 

As you may know, my family and friends have been devastated by Cancer.  Most recently, my daughters Father-in-Law, Tom Malone, was diagnosed with Metastatic Melanoma in February 2020 and passed away in March after a 6-week battle. After that, my friend Leeward Bean was also diagnosed with Metastatic Melanoma and passed away in July. On October 31st, 2018, my beautiful sister JoAnn DiMaso, passed away after battling her 4th Cancer which was called Lepto Meningeal Disease. She was about to turn 59 years old on November 2nd and left behind her husband Tony and two children, Anthony and Angela. Her daughter Angela who is 20 years old was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2018 and is now in remission after being treated for 2.5 years at Memorial Sloan Kettering. No one quite understands how these bad things keep happening to such great people. My younger brother Paul battled 3 Cancer types over his short 43-year life before passing away in 2010.  

My Aunt Fay is a Breast Cancer survivor, my Sister in Law Lori Murn is a Breast Cancer Survivor, my friend Dave Janeway is a stage 4 Rectal Cancer survivor. Team member Andy Alberdi, completed treatment for mouth cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center over three years ago and is doing remarkably well. I am so proud of them all.  

My Dad passed away on February 3rd, 2018 after a long battle with Multiple Sclerosis and my Brother in Law Richie Magnussen passed away in March 2018 after a courageous 5+ year battle with small intestine cancer. The past few years have been the worst of my life so I am once again swimming to fight back and honor the memory of those who lost their battle and honor those who continue to fight, especilly my niece Angela Dimaso.

The statistics are staggering, in our lifetime, 1 in 3 will be diagnosed with cancer. I joined the SAA community so that, together, we can change that. I am challenging myself by swimming in the Tampa Bay Open Water Swim in memory and honor of those I mentioned above, raising as much money to fight cancer as I can. Please support me by sponsoring my swim and making a gift. The money you give will go towards cancer research, prevention and treatment and will make an impact in the fight to find a cure.  Thank you for your generosity and may it lead to a cancer-free world!

Regards,

Jim