Patricia Vossler of Somerville has joined  (SAA) to make a splash for pediatric cancer programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center. Vossler will swim in the 20^th annual Boston Harbor Swim on July 8, alongside Olympians Carlton Bruner, Janel Jorgensen McArdle, Kristy Kowal, Heather Petri, Craig Beardsley, and Erik Vendt.

“The Boston Harbor swim is a great way for people to come together and participate in a sport they love alongside Olympic swimming legends while raising critical funds for pediatric programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and at MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center,” says 1988 Olympic Silver Medalist Janel Jorgensen McArdle, who is also the president of Swim Across America.

The SAA Boston Harbor swim is a 22-mile relay style open-water swim beginning at 7 a.m. on July 8 from Rowes Wharf behind the Boston Harbor Hotel. A minimum fundraising pledge of $1,500 is required for individuals to participate in this all-day event.

Swim Across America is a non-profit organization that runs events from Boston to San Francisco to support cancer research at the country’s finest hospitals and institutions. At SAA, money raised locally stays local, ensuring that swimmers always know they are making an impact in their respective communities. Proceeds from the Boston-area swims benefit the David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic at Dana-Farber, where experts help pediatric cancer survivors with an array of issues, including long-term effects of treatment, social and psychological concerns, and the risk of second cancers. Proceeds also benefit the MassGeneral Hospital for Children Cancer Center for cancer care and research initiatives that enhance the quality of life for the hospital’s youngest cancer patients.

For more information, go to www.swimacrossamerica.org/boston.