Willamette Swimmers Participate in Hour of Power

Text supplied by the Hour of Power edited by Robert McKinney

SALEM, ORE -- The Willamette University swimming teams participated in the sixth annual Ted Mullin "Leave It in the Pool" Hour of Power Relay for Sarcoma Research on Tuesday, Nov. 1. The "Hour of Power" was sponsored by the Carleton College (Minn.) swimming and diving teams.

It is nearly impossible to find anyone whose life has not been touched by cancer, whether it is through a friend, family member, or even a teammate.

Willamette joined thousands of athletes from collegiate, high school, and club teams across the nation as well as from study-abroad teams who 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 of 2006.

A total of 116 teams with almost 5,900 athletes registered for the 2011 Hour of Power Relay. The list of teams includes 82 collegiate swimming programs from 35 conferences throughout NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III, plus two independent teams. In addition 34 club, high school and study-abroad teams took part.

The event, held in each teams home pool, was 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 swimmer Ted Mullin, the Hour of Power Relay grew 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 into finding treatments and cures for sarcoma, which afflicts the lives of many young people. 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 Childrens 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.

The University of Chicago's pediatric sarcoma research program brings together oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists and physician scientists who are committed to helping adolescents and young adults with sarcoma. The program allows for collaborative efforts in the identification of the causes of sarcoma at the molecular and cellular levels.