June 20, 2011 — Murrysville, Pennsylvania, Darren E. Miller, along with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, have organized the first annual Children’s Hospital Open Water Challenge to be held on Saturday, July 9, 2011 at Keystone State Park. All proceeds and funds raised as a result of this event will benefit the Heart Center at Children’s Hospital.
Event Schedule:
Warm-Up/Swimmer Check-In: 8:30 am to 10:00 am
5K Swim/5K Relay Start: 10:15 am
Awards Ceremony/Lunch: 1:30 pm
Annually, more than 10,000 children with heart disease are treated at the Heart Center, which provides the most up-to-date technology to deliver a full complement of services to children who are born with or acquire heart disease. This event directly aligns with Miller’s swimming initiatives and his foundation, the “Forever Fund,” which helps to support and defray expenses associated with infant cardiothoracic surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Participants in the Children’s Hospital Open Water Challenge have the option to compete in a 5K Individual Swim Challenge or a 5K Relay Swim Challenge in Keystone Lake. Trophies will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers in the 12-17, 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50+ age categories, as well as the top three relay teams. According to Miller, “This is an excellent opportunity to generate further awareness and support in the fight against children’s heart disease, as well as introduce many to the growing sport of open water swimming.”
Miller, who is the race director and an avid open water swimmer, has embarked on an ambitious endeavor to complete what is regarded as the world’s seven most difficult channel swims. This challenge, dubbed the “Ocean’s Seven,” has never been accomplished by anyone to date and consists of swimming across seven of the world’s channels: the English, Catalina, Moloka’i, Irish and Tsugaru Channels, Cook Strait and the Strait of Gibraltar.
Miller completed the first leg of this challenge last summer to become the 833rd person to swim across the English Channel, known as the “Mount Everest” of open water swimming. With his “Ocean’s Seven” goal in sight, Miller plans to complete the swim across the Catalina Channel on August 2, 2011 and the Molokai Channel on September 16, 2011.
All donations to Miller’s website, www.darren-miller.com, in support of his “Ocean’s Seven” goal benefit the “Forever Fund,” a charitable foundation in which Miller played an integral role in establishing along with Cathy Cartieri Mehl. The “Forever Fund” is dedicated to the memory of Mehl’s father, Anthony Frank Cartieri, and aids families in their struggle to afford the costs associated with infant cardiothoracic surgery that takes place in the cardiothoracic unit at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Contributions can also be made by purchasing EnergyCare USA products through Miller’s website. As one of Miller’s supporting sponsors, EnergyCare will donate 30% of each sale referenced from his page to Team Forever, which manages contributions to the “Forever Fund.” Miller’s premier sponsor is Trustmont Financial Group, Inc.
Team Forever, a non-profit organization which manages contributions to the “Forever Fund,” was established by Darren E. Miller and Cathy Cartieri Mehl in December 2009. The “Forever Fund” is a foundation dedicated to the memory of Mehl’s father, Anthony Frank Cartieri and aids families in their struggle to afford the costs associated with infant cardiothoracic surgery that takes place in the cardiothoracic unit of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The “Forever Fund” not only helps to save lives, but provides the opportunity for funding of vital medical research concerning infant cardiothoracic care. Information pertaining to Team Forever and the “Forever Fund” can be found on Darren E. Miller’s website at www.darren-miller.com.
MEDIA/PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Darren E. Miller will be available to the media at the following time during the Children’s Hospital Open Water Challenge, held at Keystone Lake at Keystone State Park in Derry, PA, Westmoreland County.
Saturday, July 9 at 10:30 AM
Keystone State Park
1150 Keystone Park Road
Derry, PA 15627
Park Office: 724-668-2939
Visitor Center: 724-668-2566
E-mail: [email protected]
Rain Date: Sunday, July 10 at 10:30 AM
Please park in the lot off of the boat launch, on the western side of the lake, as illustrated in the picture below. Please RSVP to us if you plan to attend this event.
