The Gustavus men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams took part in the 2011 Ted Mullin “Hour of Power” relay for Sarcoma research on Tuesday night in the Lund Natatorium.
Gustavus joins thousands of athletes from collegiate, high school, and club teams across the nation—as well as student-abroad teams—to participate in the 2011 “Hour of Power” event, honoring those who are fighting or have succumbed to cancer, including former Carleton swimmer Edward H. “Ted” Mullin, who passed away from synovial sarcoma, a rare soft-tissue cancer, in September 2006.
Over 100 teams registered for the 2011 “Hour of Power” Relay. These include 81 collegiate swimming programs from 35 conferences and NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as two independents. In addition 33 club, high-school and student-abroad teams will take part.
The event is a one-hour, all-out, leave-it-in-the-pool practice consisting of continuous relays, using any stroke.
First held on Nov. 7, 2006 in memory of Carleton College swimmer Ted Mullin, the “Hour of Power” Relay has grown from 15 teams the first year to 146 teams in 2010.
A primary goal of the event is to raise awareness and generate funds for research conducted at the University of Chicago (U of C) into finding treatments and cures for sarcoma, the type of soft-tissue cancer that took the life of Ted Mullin and afflicts the lives of many young people. All teams are invited to get involved in the “Hour of Power” whether or not they decide to raise funds. Since the event began five years ago, participants have raised more than $265,000 for the Ted Mullin Fund for Pediatric Sarcoma Research at the Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago 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’s 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, allowing collaborative efforts in the identification of the causes of sarcoma at the most basic molecular and cellular levels.