Dan Head

Friends,

As many of you know, I will be competing in the Swim Across the Sound to support St. Vincent's Hospital's Cancer Center again this year. 2025 marks a decade with the Swim for me. I first competed as part of "Team Y-Me?" way back in 2015. We've learned a lot and raised a lot of money in that time. This year can and should be our best year ever!

For those that don't know, the Swim is a 15-mile open water event that starts in Port Jefferson, NY, and finishes on the far side of Long Island Sound in Bridgeport, CT. My team, Team RBG, is an veteran-led team entered in the Classic (No Wetsuit) category, which means that we'll swim as a relay, taking half-hour pulls while a boat motors slowly alongside us. We have a team of legitimately talented swimmers -- some from the Army Swim Team, some experienced triathletes, and one, Stephen, who played Water Polo at UCLA.

We train hard, but really, the Swim is not about swimming. It's a charity fundraiser that funds community outreach for cancer screenings as well as familial financial support for those who undergo cancer treatments. Alas, my friends, cancer ain’t cheap. The Swim helps pay mortgage and electric bills for those undergoing treatment, taking at least one stressor off of already stressed families.

When you're fighting cancer, you need all your energy to win that fight.

As many of you know, my family has all passed on now, mostly due to cancer. My mother and all of my grandparents died from cancer. My father got cancer but survived, though he struggled mightily with its aftereffects.

As you can imagine, this is an important cause for me. That's doubly true now in this current age, when society has actively chosen to stop researching cancer treatments and funding so much of public life. With that in mind, please consider supporting our fight. Large or small, all contributions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Go Army! Beat Cancer!!!