Photos from the 17th-annual Swim Across America Fairfield County Open Water Swim.

Each year, Swim Across America Fairfield County holds an Open Water Swim to benefit Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT). The non-profit organization has raised more than $5 million to benefit ACGT’s efforts in funding important cancer cell and gene therapy research. Read more here about the importance of SAA-FC for ACGT’s mission.

Swim Across America Fairfield County’s 17th-annual Open Water Swim was held June 24 at the Long Island Sound in Stamford, Connecticut. This year’s event has raised $329,588 to date, and the number will continue to increase.

If you’d like to learn more about SAA-FC or to donate, visit their website. You can also sign up for ACGT email communications with the button link below.

Here are some pictures from the Open Water Swim.

Swimmers run to the water to begin the Open Water Swim.

Volunteers are ready to keep swimmers safe in the Long Island Sound.

This group of swimmers is happy to be back on shore after finishing their swim.

Two swimmers return to shore and cross the finish line.

From left to right: Brian Brown, PhD, of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Barbara Netter, the co-founder ACGT; and Kevin Honeycutt, CEO of ACGT. Dr. Brown is one of the ACGT Research Fellows funded in part by Swim Across America.

Swimmers high-five after finishing the Open Water Swim.

Thank you to the SAA-FC staff and volunteers, including kayakers, for making the 17th-annual Open Water Swim safe and enjoyable.

A group of swimmers race out to begin the Open Water Swim.

These swimmers didn’t let a little rain prevent them from making waves against cancer. They were some of the hundreds of swimmers who participated in this year’s Open Water Swim.

The SAA-FC Open Water Swim has three distances: 0.5 miles, 1 mile, and 1.5 miles. The event invites swimmers all skill levels to participate.

It’s all hugs and smiles as swimmers reach the shore and finish the Open Water Swim.