by James Meehan
Swim Across America Nantucket Swim is coming up this Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 7:30 am at Jetties Beach. The Swim raises money for the Nantucket Cottage Hospital Oncology and Infusion Department, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket and the Mass General Brigham Brain Tumor Research Project. Last year the Swim raised a record $885,000 through the efforts of three hundred swimmers/fundraisers, business sponsors, and one hundred volunteers. This yearlong fundraising effort pays dividends for island residents, both year-round and seasonal. The best way to measure the impact of this program is to talk to someone who benefited from the hard work of the swimmers and the generosity of the donors to this cause.
Jeff Schneider is a well-known electrician on Nantucket. Jeff came to Nantucket in the early 1980s and learned the electrical trade. Jeff and his wife, Peggy, raised his family on the Island. Jeff’s kids went to Nantucket schools, and four of his six grandchildren are Whalers. Jeff’s cancer story started at Logan Airport in 2022 when for no reason he set off the security screening device. His wife Peggy learned that this can happen when your body density reaches an unhealthy state. Jeff consulted with Dr. Tim Lepore and after a series of blood tests and biopsies determined that Peggy’s hunch was right, he had Stage Four prostate cancer. The prognosis was grim with most patients living less than five years.
Jeff’s treatment was coordinated with NCH’s Oncology Unit and Dana Farber. He took advantage of the full menu of options: surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy to combat the cancer. PASCON arranged travel funds from the Marla Seely Lamb Fund to support the family for their two-month stay in Boston to get the needed radiation treatment. Jeff credits Swim Across America and the host of caregivers with saving his life. “They were caring people who gave me hope. Honor THYSELF, never EVER give up hope. Swim Across America, PASCON and my wife gave me hope. Two years later, I have no cancer,” said Jeff.
Jeff was the keynote speaker at last year’s Swim and pumped up the crowd with an enthusiastic speech. “I consider myself a fighter. A gamer, let’s get this done. I am not going to give up and I have more hope than ever. I want everybody to be positive, and having hope is good medicine. I am not going to let cancer ruin my life.” Jeff is an inspiration for all of the swimmers and is a living reason why we gather to raise the money necessary to face cancer.
Those three hundred swimmers do the hard work of asking for money to support this cause. Join Swim Across America: Nantucket on Saturday July 26 to help others like Jeff defeat cancer and give our community the gift of hope. To learn more, register to swim, and to donate visit www.swimacrossamerica.org/Nantucket.