Swim Across America Raises $125,000 to Support Colorectal Cancer Research at UNC Lineberger

On September 27, hundreds of swimmers supporting Swim Across America came together at the UNC Natatorium in Chapel Hill in a charity swim that caps off a year of fundraising that has contributed $125,000 to support colorectal research at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The past decade has seen amazing progress in the treatment and detection of colorectal cancer, improving outcomes and extending the lifespans of patients with new treatments developed at institutions like UNC Lineberger. Even with these advances, colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of death in the U.S. and a growing cause of deaths in people under 50.

Rob Butcher, CEO and President of Swim Across America, thanked the crowd for their fundraising efforts this year and said UNC was consistently one of Swim Across America’s strongest supporters.

This year’s swim was in honor of Rich DeSelm, former UNC head swimming coach and three-time U.S. Swimming National Team coach. DeSelm, a cancer survivor, thanked the crowd and recognized Olympic swimmer Sue Walsh, a UNC alum, Olympic athlete, and fellow cancer survivor. Walsh, while at UNC, was a 10-time national champion and three-time winner of the ACC Championship’s Most Outstanding Swimmer.

Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, Executive Director, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and Chief of Oncology Clinical Services, UNC Health System, and Ashwin Somasundaram, MD, a physician and researcher whose lab is working on developing immunotherapy treatments targeting colorectal cancer, were on hand to accept the group’s donation and thank them for their contribution in improving the lives of patients with colorectal cancer.

“Cancer has touched many of us in one way or another, and we have come together today as a community in honor of those who have survived cancer and those we have lost. All of us, researchers and physicians and those who support us, have done so much in the last decade to improve the quality of life and lifespan of patients with these cancers. The number of stomach cancer patients has steadily dropped, and new treatments provide hope of longer lives and more time spent with loved ones,” said Dr. Somasundaram.