PHOTOS: 6th annual Swim Across America event

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The 6th annual Swim Across America – Richmond (SAA) event took place on Sunday as community members came together to help fight cancer.

Swimmers and volunteers took to the water to raise money for cancer research as a part of SAA in Richmond on Sunday, Aug. 25. Proceeds from the swimming event help support cancer research at the VCU Massey Cancer Center.

George Sushkoff – a cancer survivor who has been involved with SAA Richmond since 2019 — spoke to 8News about what it means to be involved with the organization as someone who has been through treatment himself.

“I don’t want anybody else to have to go through the treatment that I went through,” Sushkoff said. “I know they are looking at developing these immunotherapy treatments and things like that so that the treatment doesn’t end up being more difficult than the disease itself.”

SAA has raised over $100 million to fund cancer research as well as clinical trials, and their charity swims are hosted in over 20 communities across the nation. Learn more about SAA by visiting their website.

“If we can beat this disease all together, that’s ultimately the goal, but in the meantime [the goal is] to make these treatments easier on these patients, less painful,” Sushkoff said.

Continue scrolling to see pictures and video from the annual SAA event.

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