Saints Swim for Sarcoma

At 4 pm Tuesday evening, over 6300 swimming athletes representing 137 different college, high school & club swim teams from across the country and in different continents, collectively participated in the 2010 Ted Mullin "Hour of Power" swim relay for sarcoma research.  With the largest number of teams ever in the five year history of this event, all of the St. Lawrence University swimmers were inspired and determined to make a difference toward efforts to find a cure for sarcoma.

In 60 minutes, the Saints swimming & diving team swam 40 lengths apiece during its participation at the Hour of Power relay on Tuesday evening. Each school's team swims the relay at the same exact time throughout the country. For one hour, swimmers swam in six lanes, various strokes with each leg, on the same length or at least on the same 50 segment. After one individual completed a lap, another individual dove in and made their lap as they rotated during the time span.

The "Hour of Power" relay honors Carleton College swimmer Ted Mullin, who passed away in the fall of 2006 from sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer. The funds raised through the event supports the research at the University of Chicago into the causes and treatment of sarcoma in young people.

The relay began in 2006 when 15 teams joined together to raised $11,000. In 2009, the number of participants jumped to 134 on four continents including 103 college and university programs, 28 high school & club teams, and three student abroad teams. Last year, almost 6,500 athletes raised $78,000 for the fund which brought the four year total to more than $190,000.

Last year, captain Russ Newton, a cancer survivor, organized the Saints first year of participation in which Saints swimmers raised over $700.

Donations to the Hour of Power can be sent to The Ted Mullin Fund, P.O. Box 437, Winnetka, IL 60093-0437. Please remember to identify yourself as a contributor from St. Lawrence University.