With over 2,000 participants logging their hours in the pool, ocean or lake each day and exchanging light-hearted barbs via Twitter and Facebook, the Swim Challenge is proving to be the ultimate grudge match between men and women.
"It’s been a phenomenal success with participants joining from all over the world," says Olivier Laguette, Director of Marketing for Aqua Sphere, the sponsor of the Swim Challenge – an event designed to support both breast cancer and prostate cancer research.
Since its launch on April 1, the Swim Challenge has attracted international participation with the majority of swimmers coming from the U.S., but also with participants from 49 other countries such as Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy and Canada.
The website’s "leader meter," which tracks the total time swam (men vs. women), has shown the lead alternating between each gender. While the ladies started strong with more women swimming fewer hours, the men rallied back to take the lead (for now) with fewer swimmers swimming longer hours.
But what really matters is the "Donation Dashboard."
Rather than simply write a check, Aqua Sphere, the company that promotes comfort and long-lasting performance in the water, has pledged $35,000to be split between the Prostate Cancer Foundation (men) and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (women)– how that money is divided is determined by the cumulative hours swam by each gender. The "Donation Dashboard" displays the current breakdown of those funds.
"The Breast Cancer Research Foundation is thrilled to be associated with the Swim Challenge because it not only helps fund research for breast cancer, but also aims to empower women and promote a healthy lifestyle," said Robbie Finke Franklin, BCRF Director of Marketing. "We encourage women everywhere to sign up and start swimming – every minute counts!"
The Swim Challenge will run through November 30; swimmers of all abilities can sign-up and sign on to www.swimchallenge.orgeach day to log their hours (not their laps) in the water.Aqua Sphere, the originator of the "swim mask," is widely known for their line of comfortable aquatic eyewear including the popular Seal and Vista masks and the Kaiman and Kayenne goggles. Designed for form and function, swimmers can simply fit the frames to their face and forget about them while they enjoy swimming for time, distance, exercise or just fun.
For more information on the Swim Challenge, visit us on the web at www.swimchallenge.org or join the Swim Challenge Facebook fan site. Twitter users can also follow swim_challenge for the latest updates.
About Aqua Sphere
Aqua Sphere is the worldwide brand of choice for swimming gear, based on the highest industry standards of design and innovation. Launched in the mid-90s as a division of the diving industry leader Aqua Lung, Aqua Sphere is committed to supplying eye protection for dedicated or casual swimmers, enabling them to feel safe, comfortable and at home in the water. The company’s numerous innovations include the Seal, the first swim mask featuring 180° vision and Kaiman, the first panoramic goggle. For more information, call (800) 775-3483, or log on to www.aquasphereswim.com.
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF)
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. In October 2009, BCRF awarded nearly $28.5 million to 173 scientists across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. Last year, more than 88 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation went directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs. And the American Institute of Philanthropyhas awarded the Foundation its highest possible rating of A+. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization to receive this accolade; and is the only cancer organization to currently hold this ranking. For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) was founded in 1993 to find better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer. Through its unique model for soliciting and selecting promising research programs and rapid deployment of resources, the PCF has funded more than 1,500 programs at nearly 200 research centers in 20 countries around the world. The PCF is a force of HOPE for more than 16 million men and their families around the world who are currently facing the disease. For more information, visit www.prostatecancerfoundation.
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