May the funds raised today bring hope, healing and comfort to those facing cancer.

reprinted from Fairfield County Catholic | July/August 2026

For the last 37 years, Tom Dolan has been escorting teams in a variety of vessels over the unpredictable waters of Long Island Sound in Hartford HealthCare’s annual Swim Across the Sound. As a boat captain since the early days of the event in the late 1980s, he always knew how important it was to support those with cancer – long before he himself was diagnosed with leukemia eight years ago. Now in remission, Dolan and Fair Diego, the team he currently carries, continue to take part in the Swim, knowing the impact it has on so many.

During this year’s event on Saturday, August 1, where swimmers finished at Captain’s Cove Marina, Fair Diego secured first place in the classic relay, though for Dolan and so many others, this is not a competition but a chance to do for others.

In his early morning prayer at Steelpointe Harbor before over 200 swimmers took to the water on a glorious summer day, Hartford HealthCare’s Fairfield Region President Bill Jennings compared each of the participants’ strokes in the Sound to the advancements in cancer care.

“We lift up the purpose of this event. May the funds raised today bring hope, healing and comfort to those facing cancer. Every stroke is more than a personal challenge. It is an act of compassion, hope, and love for others. May all that we do bring glory to God,” he said.

For Dolan, it’s been his Catholic faith that has sustained him through his journey from diagnosis to treatment to remission. “No question. This is one of those times when you really need your faith. It is and always was so important. Whenever I feel a challenge, I’ll stop in at the chapel and ask for help. I can’t imagine going through all this without my faith,” said Dolan, speaking aboard his vessel the “Queen B.” He is a longtime parishioner at St. Pius X Parish in Fairfield and also attends Mass at St. Anthony of Padua.

The family of swimmer Joey Nizzardo, who, for the fourth time in as many years finished as the first solo swimmer, said they pray every time he gets in the water. A 2025 graduate of Fairfield University, Nizzardo completed the 14-mile swim in just under six hours. Like Dolan, this event is especially important to him as his grandfather is a cancer survivor. Sporting a “Fairfield” baseball cap while on the deck at Captain’s Cove, the older man stood waiting for his grandson to emerge from the water.

“Joey loves swimming, so it’s perfect for him to do something to benefit so many people,” said his mother Sarah Nizzardo of Monroe, who, with her family, belongs to St. Jude Parish. “I have a great devotion to the Blessed Mother. As a mom, I ask her to protect him whenever he’s in the water.”

His aunt Cindy Nizzardo added: “I feel such pride. Joey would do anything he could to make a difference, and he knows firsthand how cancer touches a family.”

Melissa Perugini of Southington, Conn. felt the same. Accompanied by her husband and children, all wearing light yellow T-shirts, they waited expectantly for her daughter Gianna, who was swimming for her second year with the Foxy Five, a team of Marist University alumni. Though she swam last year for mainly benevolent reasons, the event became personal this year when her uncle David Miller was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in October and then died this past January. She swims for Uncle Dave, her mother said.

“When he was first diagnosed, we leaned heavily on prayer. We knew this was in God’s hands,” said Melissa Perugini who grew up in Prospect, Conn. and attended Mass at St. Anthony Church.

As those in the water and on the docks know, this event, now in its 39th year, is about so much more than just swimming. Matthew Kenney, Vice President of Mission Services for the Fairfield Region at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, said the Swim Across the Sound connects perfectly to the mission of St.
Vincent’s. “We’re directly helping those with cancer, the poor and the vulnerable. We want to restore their dignity,” he said, referencing the living expenses, transportation, cancer education, screenings and more that funds from the Swim provide. “Each year, we get more and more volunteers to help do just that.”

One of those is Dayo Sule, a U.S. Army veteran and director of laboratory services. He lost his mother from breast cancer 20 years ago and calls this event “a chance to give back by being here to support the swimmers.”

That’s what Dolan has done for over 30 years – be present and help in any way possible, he said. “This whole event and purpose have been so important,” he said. “I’m blessed to have been involved and captained so many teams.”

Following Saturday’s Swim Across the Sound, the annual Memorial Service was held Sunday at Captain’s Cove to honor the memory of loved ones lost to cancer with inspirational readings, musical tributes and the reading of names.