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2nd Annual PCI Dinner Honors Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim
The second annual Prostate Cancer Institute Dinner, a Swim Across the Sound event, honored Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University May 26th at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport. The event raised more than $125,000 to benefit the Swim Prostate Cancer Institute.

Hall of Fame Coach Jim Calhoun, Head Coach of the 2004 National Champion UConn Huskies and last year’s honoree, served as Honorary Chair for the event.

Frank Morse and Bill Mitchell served as co-chairs for the event. Bank of America was the event sponsor. Madison Jewelers and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers sponsored the pre-dinner reception. Other dinner sponsors were Mitchells Westport, Joyce Hergenhan, Town Fair Tire Foundation, Aquarion, The Lenoci Family, R.C. Bigelow, Inc., Health Net, Inc., A.P. Construction Company, and The Bridgeport Health Care Center.

Boeheim, a prostate cancer survivor, lead Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA National Championship and delivered the keynote address. Last year, PCI honored Coach Calhoun for his humanitarian work in helping to raise awareness of prostate cancer. Coach Calhoun is also a cancer survivor who developed prostate cancer in 2003.

Both Boeheim and Calhoun have earned 703 career victories and will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in the fall. Under Boeheim, Syracuse has made 23 NCAA tournament appearances and has been to the Final Four three times. Calhoun has led Connecticut to two NCAA championships (1999, 2004), eight Big East regular-season titles, and 17 consecutive postseason tournaments.

Dinner took place at 7 p.m. with a meet-and-greet reception at 6 p.m. where attendees had their picture taken with the coaches and obtained autographs. There was also a silent
auction of unique sports memorabilia prior to the dinner.

The funds raised through the dinner will allow PCI to continue its community screening program. PCI staff screened more than 600 men in 2004 and the goal is to surpass that number this year, which included a 50 percent increase of screenings for minorities.

Pia Lauren Spa Joins the Fight Against Cancer
Pia Lauren, owner of Pia Lauren Spa di Bellezza, 1828 Post Road, Fairfield, provided a day of beauty and pampering to help benefit Swim Across the Sound May 1st.

Opening her shop on a Sunday especially for the event, Lauren and her staff pampered clients with manicures, pedicures, paraffin dips, makeup, massages, or reflexology. The cost of every treatment was donated to the Swim with the event raising a total of $5,000.

More than 100 clients also enjoyed food, provided by Vazzy’s of Bridgeport and Lauren, including entertainment, raffles, and giveaways.

“As a cancer survivor, I support the Swim to help others like myself,” Lauren said. “I love the work the Swim is doing and look forward to doing more in the future.”

The Pia Lauren Spa was named “Spa of the Month” by Let’s Go Spa.com. For more information about The Pia Lauren Spa, call 203-254-8308.

Swim Golf Tournament Hits the Target
More than 120 intrepid golfers teed off in the fourth Swim Golf Tournament May 24th at Whitney Farms Golf Club in Monroe that raised $65,000. Rain and cold temperatures shortened the tournament to 9 holes, but didn’t dampen the spirits of the golfers in the scramble format. The entry fee for individual players was $300.

Golfers enjoyed the challenging course as well as lunch and dinner at the Stone Barn Restaurant at the golf club. The 1st place low gross team was Mark Fries, Frank Morse, Mike Niedermeier, and Terry O’Connor. The 1st place low net team was Mike Piscitelli, Paul Fernandes, Dan Brooks, and Mike Kopiec.

U.S. Surgical Corporation, Norwalk, was the title sponsor of the tournament that benefited the Swim’s 34 cancer education, prevention and screening programs. Ralph LoStocco and John Lawrence, M.D. co-chaired the tournament. A round of applause goes out to the volunteers, who braved the cold and the rain, to monitor the closest to the pin shots on the par-3s and provide drinks for the golfers.

Empire Vending in Milford to Donate Percentage of Its Proceeds
The owner of Empire Vending in Milford, Robert El-Hage, will donate 2% of the annual proceeds obtained from the 11 snack, soda and bulk vending machines that he operates, which are located in Fairfield and New Haven Counties.

“I feel very pleased to donate some of the proceeds to the Swim,” El-Hage said. “I am a friend and great supporter of the Swim. What they do for the surrounding communities is outstanding.”

The 21-year old El-Hage started Empire Vending in January 2005. He currently resides in Milford and is also a student at Housatonic Community College studying small business management.

The Swim Hartford Chapter Hosts Wine Tasting
Swim Across the Sound Hartford Chapter hosted a wine tasting and silent auction to kickoff the new chapter May 11th at the Country Club of Farmington, raising more than $5,000 in its debut.

Wine Cellars 4, owned by Steven Leon, in Farmington provided an eclectic assortment of fine wines from all over the world. Supporters enjoyed delectable hors d’ oeuvres while bidding on silent auction items to benefit the Swim. The Swim launched a Hartford Chapter in 2005 and is dedicated to raising funds for cancer patients and their families in the Hartford area.

Kelli and Mitch McGrath are the co-hosts of the Swim Hartford Chapter and will hold two benefit nights at the New Britain Rock Cats games July 26th and August 8th. For more information about the Swim Hartford Chapter, call Kelli or Mitch at 203-526-3935 or 860-874-8998.

The Shelton Seals Aquathon Makes a Big Splash
The 7th annual Shelton Seals Aquathon to benefit Swim Across the Sound made waves May 15th at the Shelton Community Center in Huntington Center.

All swimmers swam laps between 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. to benefit the Swim. All swimmers who donated a minimum of $25 received a Swim Across the Sound T-Shirt. The Shelton Seals swim teams hosted the event and will take part in this year’s Swim Marathon. Tom Casey, a long-time Swim supporter, chaired the event that raised approximately $3,000.

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The Swim 101 Boys Night Out Honors Armand Cantafio
Swim Across the Sound 101 Boys Night Out will honor Armand J. Cantafio, CEO of Northeast Electronics Corporation in Milford June 2nd at Vazzy’s Restaurant in Bridgeport.

Every year, the Swim selects a prominent man in the community to honor for his accomplishments and community support.

Cantafio started Northeast Electronics in 1961, building it into a leader in the hermetic glass to metal sealing industry, which is critical to the aerospace industry, military, and automotive and commercial applications.

He grew up in Bridgeport, graduating from Harding High School and the University of Bridgeport. He has served on several boards and committees, such as Chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee to Platt Regional Vocational Technical School, Director and Vice President of the CT Burns Care Foundation and member of the U.S. Military Academy Appointee Selection.

Frank Gaudiano, Vice President of Northeast Electronics, is serving as chair of the event. Tickets are $200, which includes hors d’ouevres, dinner and drinks, and can be obtained by calling St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, 203-576-5451. Vazzy’s of Bridgeport is donating all the food for the evening.

The Metro North Parrot Head Club Concert Tunes Up
The Metro North Parrot Head Club, comprised of Jimmy Buffet fans, will host a benefit concert June 4th at Captain’s Cove from noon-6 p.m. in Bridgeport.

The third annual concert is a fun event that will feature the Jim Morris Band from Florida, Jimmy Buffet’s backup band. The concert will draw people from around the country. There will be raffles and a silent auction to benefit the Swim. Tickets are $20 per person in advance, and $25 at the door. Contact carpoh@aol.com for tickets.

DiNardo Fundraiser Dining in Style
The fifth annual Sal DiNardo fundraising dinner will dine in style at the Il Palio Restaurant in Shelton June 16th to raise funds for the Swim.

DiNardo, owner of Peter DiNardo & Sons in Bridgeport, has invited 100 friends, who will each make a $500 donation to the Swim. DiNardo will sponsor the entire evening and absorb all costs. DiNardo sponsors the evening annually at some of the finest restaurants in Fairfield County to benefit the Swim 34 cancer education, screening and prevention programs.

Get Pumped for the Tour de Sound Bike Ride
Dennis Brown and Dan Rose, M.D., both of Fairfield, are serving as co-chairs of the Tour de Sound bike ride June 18, 2005 to benefit cancer patients.

The ride will start and end at Roger Ludlow Middle School field and run along the beach area and through additional Fairfield County Towns. Riders can choose the length of their routes, ranging from a “Family Fun Ride” of 10 miles, 25 miles or 100 kilometers.

Minimum registration will be $35 per rider. Participants raising additional pledges will be eligible for other prizes. The Tour de Sound is one of the few rides that offers a police escort along each route to insure safety. Each registered rider will also receive lunch and refreshments at the end of the ride, including a DJ and music.

Brown, a senior financial advisor at Merrill Lynch in Fairfield and Rose, head of cardiac surgery at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, plan to expand the number of riders in one of the most scenic bike routes in Fairfield County.

For more information, call St. Vincent’s Foundation 576-5451. To register online, visit swimacrossthesound.org and click on the Tour de Sound event.

The WICC Radiothon Tunes Into the Swim
This year’s WICC Radiothon to support the Swim takes to the air June 24th and 26th with WICC Radio personality John LaBarca and Frank Scifo, M.D. Swim co-chairs, as hosts of the Radiothon.

The Swim WICC Radiothon goes on the air Friday from 5 a.m.–10 a.m. on Radio 600 AM and Sunday from 7 a.m.–2 p.m. The Radiothon will entertain you and leave you with a great feeling of self-satisfaction, knowing you helped cancer patients in need. Last year’s Radiothon raised more than $220,000.

LaBarca looks forward to this event every year as he pours his heart out on the air and entertains listeners. “The Swim is very close to my heart,” he said. “I lost my father to cancer. If we had the Swim around then, it would have been a lot better for my family. That’s my motivation to do the Radiothon. It’s demanding, but worth every minute.”

The WICC Radiothon will feature celebrities and dignitaries, such as Swim Honorary co-chairs Bobby Valentine and Joseph Abboud as well as call-ins and appearances from U.S. Senators Joseph Lieberman and Chris Dodd. U.S. Representative Christopher Shays and State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

The WICC Radiothon includes testimonies from several cancer survivors who have benefited from the Swim, which raised $2.5 million last year and helped more than 18,000 cancer patients and their families. In addition, many Swim supporters and benefactors will be on the air to discuss why they are involved with the Swim.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation President Ron Bianchi said the Radiothon is his favorite event because it draws from all levels of the community. He also praised WICC for its generous support.

“You always walk away with a great feeling when you hear people calling in and pledging money to help cancer patients in need,” Bianchi said. “Without the generous support of WICC, this Radiothon just wouldn’t happen. WICC has been a great supporter of the Swim. They help us raise a significant amount of money for our programs. We truly appreciate and value our partnership with WICC. ”

Swim Across the Sound Sailing Regatta To Set Sail July 16th
The 6th annual Swim Sailing Regatta, hosted by Fayerweather Yacht Club in Bridgeport, will set sail July 16th.

Sponsored by WindCheck Magazine and presented by Fayerweather YC and Black Rock YC in Bridgeport, Housatonic Boat Club in Stratford and Cedar Point YC in Westport, the Regatta donated over $15,500 to the Swim’s free mammography program in 2004.

Prior to the Regatta date there will be a Cocktail Party hosted by Mary Daley & Nancy Gill June 27th. Live and silent auctions will be held at both the Party and the Regatta Picnic.

Sailing will take place outside Black Rock Harbor, and will include a non-competitive ‘Fun Sail,’ requiring sailors to navigate an 11-mile course collecting clues to solve a puzzle. Racing divisions will be PHRF Spinnaker, Non –Spinnaker and One-Design, under Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association www.ecsa.org ratings.

Entry fee is $100 per boat, and each entrant will receive a skipper’s bag, T-shirt, hat and flag. Each boat will receive five picnic wristbands, and additional bands are $5 each. Skippers and crews are encouraged to collect pledges for their boat, and all donations to the Regatta are tax-deductible.

Entry forms are available at area yacht clubs, or at: www.sassr.org

Please send to:
Swim Across the Sound Regatta
c/o Chris Szepessy
165 Green Acre Lane
Fairfield CT 06824
(203) 255- 5322
elantics@yahoo.com

The 18th Annual Swim Across the Sound Set for August 13th
The 18th Annual Swim Across the Sound 25km marathon swim will take place on August 13, 2005.

A record field of over 150 solo and relay swimmers participated in 2004 and raised a record $200,000 for cancer prevention, education and support programs sponsored by the Swim. Swim officials are expecting another sellout crowd in 2005.

The Swim has become one of the most popular and challenging long distance swims in the USA. Don’t miss out. It is an experience of a lifetime while helping those suffering from cancer.

Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk
The Swim welcomes new volunteers who want to make a difference in their community and the lives of cancer patients. All you need is compassion. To volunteer, call St. Vincent’s Foundation – 576-5451 or visit the Swim website, www.swimacrossthesound.org.

Remember the Swim
Of all the worthwhile causes, few meet the work the Swim does in helping others. There are many ways to help the Swim:

• Donate to Swim events;
• Participate in Swim events;
• Name the Swim in your will;
• Donate a planned income gift;
• Volunteer;
• Run your own Swim fundraiser.

For more information, call the Swim Foundation at 203-576-5451.

St. Vincent's Medical Center's Swim Across the Sound is turning the tide against cancer.

The Swim has a unique mission to help cancer patients in need. The Swim raised $2.5 million in 2003 and helped 18,000 cancer survivors and their families throughout Southern Connecticut.

This is not a research program, but a charitable foundation dedicated to helping people on a case-by-case basis. The Swim has grown into a series of year-round activities focused on raising funds to underwrite 34 cancer education, screening and support group programs.