The Hillsdale College women’s swim team is doing an hour-long swim relay to raise money to fight cancer in memory of Ted Mullins, a swimmer at Carleton College who died in 2006 from sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer.
The team will collect donations until Nov. 13 when they will swim a relay for an hour straight. This workout, called the “hour of power” or “leave it in the pool,” was Mullins’ favorite before he died.
“I think the team is excited because we are always looking for ways to help out and volunteer,” said swim team captain and senior Lauren Burt. “The team is always looking for a challenge, so we don’t mind that it will be more demanding physically.”
Carleton College’s swim team began the fundraiser in 2006 and it grew from 15 teams to 160 teams and over 8,000 athletes participating in 2011. Over the past six years, they have raised more than $330,000 for the Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago.
“I know Andy Clark, the head coach at Carleton College, and it’s great to see that it keeps getting bigger every year,” said Women’s Swim Coach Kurt Kirner. “I’m pretty proud that we are the only team in the GLIAC to participate. The workout is quite demanding, but cancer is quite demanding so we see that parallel.”
Each swimmer is expected to collect $15 and the team is collecting donations during lunch. Last year they were swimming in the dough, raising $400 through donations.
“It is such a good cause and a great way to come together, and it gives us something to work for besides practices and meets,” women’s swim team captain and junior Rebecca Remmes said.
