BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University men’s and women’s swimming and diving particpated in the seventh annual Ted Mullin “Leave it in the Pool” Hour of Power Relay for Pediatric Sarcoma Research.
The Yellow Jackets join with nearly 8,000 student-athletes from 163 collegiate, high school and club teams across the nation as well as students abroad to participate in the “Hour of Power”. The event honors those who are fighting or have succumbed to cancer, including former Carleton (Minn.) College swimmer Edward H. “Ted” Mullin, who passed away from synovial sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer, in September 2006.
The event held in each team’s home pool, is a one-hour, all-out, leave-it-in-the-pool practice consisting of continuous relays, using any stroke. Wherever possible participating teams begin and finish the “Hour of Power” workout at the same time, using their respective and corresponding time zones from the East Coast to the West Coast. This means thousands of swimmers will be in the water at the same time in support of the battle against cancer. Although some teams are forced to schedule their event at another time due to various conflicts, the official start time was set for 4:00 p.m., Central Standard Time on Tuesday, November 13.
“We raised a school-record $850.00 this year for Sarcoma Cancer Research,” said second-year Yellow Jacket Head Coach Laura Wolff. “It was a great effort by our swimmers and divers as well as others who joined us in this endeavor. We are honored to participate in this event, and we look forward to it each year.”
First held on Nov. 7, 2006, the “Hour of Power” Relay has grown from 15 teams in its first year to its current level of participation noted above.
Since the event began, participants have raised more than $265,000 for the Ted Mullin Fund for Pediatric Sarcoma Research at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital where Ted received treatment. The “Hour of Power” also aims to promote team spirit and to generate awareness of sarcoma, a rare cancer that disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults.
Funds raised during the event act as seed funding for the University of Chicago pediatric sarcoma research program, allowing collaborative efforts between clinicians and physician-scientists in the identification of the causes of sarcoma, at the most basic molecular and cellular levels. With a team of dedicated pediatric oncologists, orthopedists, and radiation therapists in place, the Ted Mullin Fund enabled the University of Chicago to recruit Stephen X. Skapek, M.D., an expert in the study and treatment of sarcomas. Dr. Skapek and team are working in the lab to translate new scientific discoveries into improved therapies for sarcoma patients like Ted Mullin.
FOR MORE YELLOW JACKET SWIMMING & DIVINING INFORMATION, please contact Head Coach Laura Wolff by telephone in her office at 440-826-2387 and via e-mail at lwolff@bw.edu.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by telephone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.c0m/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
