Washington University Swimming Teams Participate in “Leave it in the Pool Hour of Power” Relay for Sarcoma Research

St. Louis, Mo., November 13, 2012 – For the fourth year in a row, the Washington University in St. Louis men’s and women’s swimming teams are joining thousands of athletes across the country in jumping into the pool in support of Carleton College’s Ted Mullin “Leave it in the Pool Hour of Power” Relay, set for Tuesday, Nov. 13.

“We believe our participation in this event is very important,” Washington University head coach Brad Shively said. “Cancer has touched many of us in our program and this is a strong show of support. I know the swimmers in the program felt strongly about WUSTL swimming’s involvement and are excited to give their best effort to this great cause. We can all make a difference in helping to find a cure.”

First started to honor former Carleton swimmer Ted Mullin, who passed away in the fall of 2006 from sarcoma, the Ted Mullin “Hour of Power” Relay has grown from 15 teams in its first year to 160 teams in 2011 with 8,000 participating athletes who joined forces to honor those who are fighting or have lost the battle to cancer. In the first six years of this nationwide event, participants raised more than $330,000 to support research into the causes and treatment of sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer, in young people.

“This event is an opportunity for our team to join together with teams across the nation and show support for those who have been affected by cancer,” assistant coach Nicole Kaupp said. “Today is a chance for each member of our team to leave it in the pool and fight for those who we know have battled or are currently fighting cancer. This is a great event for our team and we always see some fast times, excellent effort and spirited enthusiasm in support of this cause.”

Last year’s event included 107 college and university programs representing 39 conferences across NCAA Division I, II and III, and Independents, along with 46 high school and club teams. This year’s numbers are on pace to match and possibly exceed the totals from 2011. All those athletes hit the pool with a shared goal – to increase awareness about sarcoma and raise money for the Ted Mullin Fund for Pediatric Sarcoma Research at Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago.

Funds raised during the event act as seed funding for the pediatric sarcoma research program. The program brings together oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists and physician scientists who have a particular interest in adolescents and young adults with sarcoma. It allows collaborative efforts in the identification of the causes of sarcoma at the most basic molecular and cellular levels.