Event partners.

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2026, the annual Swim Across America-Fairfield County (SAA-FC) open-water swim event has empowered hundreds of local swimmers and volunteers to raise nearly $6.3 million for ACGT, funding groundbreaking research, since 2007.

Each year, SAA-FC proudly hosts over 375 swimmers and volunteers, spectators, and supporters, as well as Olympians near and far, for the charity swim in Stamford, Connecticut. Swimmers and families of all ages and skill levels participate in the open-water swim, and volunteers on land and water also play an important role. The next open-water swim will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026. For those who prefer the pool, SAA-FC has many pool swims in Fairfield County between July and August.

ACGT Research Fellows funded by SAA-FC include: Crystal Mackall, MD (Stanford University); Brian Brown, PhD (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai); Juan Fueyo, MD (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center); E. Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD (Brigham and Women’s Hospital); Sidi Chen, PhD (Yale University); Stephen Gottschalk, MD (St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital); Noriyuki Kasahara, MD, PhD (University of California, San Francisco); Khalid Shah, PhD, MSc (Harvard Medical School); Thomas Kipps, MD, PhD (University of California, San Diego); Arnob Banerjee, MD, PhD (University of Maryland School); John Bell, PhD (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute); Fan Yang, PhD (Stanford University); Samuel Katz, MD, PhD (Yale University School of Medicine); and Greg Delgoffe, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Read more about current beneficiaries here.

“One nice aspect of ACGT is it really introduces investigators to the groups that have helped fund the research,” says ACGT Research Fellow Stephen Gottschalk, MD. “I was partnered up with Swim Across America, and I went to one of their events. They all signed a lab coat for me as a gift. I greatly appreciate that opportunity to meet them and talk with them about my research.”

Whether you are a veteran swimmer or you’re looking to participate in your first open water swim or volunteer, SAA-FC welcomes you to help “Make Waves to Fight Cancer.”

Visit swimacrossamerica.org/fc.

With a mission to “Ride Bikes. End Cancer,” Leave It On The Road (LIOTR) is an elite long-distance cycling event founded in 2013 by Michael Tabtabai of Portland, OR, Andrew Hudon of Boulder, CO, and a cohort of cycling enthusiasts to raise money for cancer research.

Since 2018, the non-profit group’s fundraising rides have benefited Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy. Leave It on the Road has donated close to $139,000, including $39,000 in 2022, to help today’s most innovative researchers in advancing transformative approaches to curing cancer.

100% of donations from Leave It on the Road go directly to ACGT Research Fellows and research programs.

Inspired by their mother’s courageous battle with liposarcoma cancer, Ali, Matt and Jackie Landes organized the first annual Wendy Walk in 2010. Since then, their energy has galvanized hundreds of individuals in New York, Florida and California to walk for sarcoma research.

Wendy Walk is one of the few annual events dedicated to raising money for sarcoma research. There have been more than 40 walks with more than 10,000 walkers since the inaugural event in 2010. Wendy Walk has raised more than $610,000 to benefit Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy.

ACGT Research Fellows funded by Wendy Walk include:

• Stephen Gottschalk, MD (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
• Crystal Mackall, MD (Stanford University)
• Seth Pollack, MD (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, now at Northwestern University)