Volunteers honored for long-time service.
At the 2021 October Swim Across America-Atlanta event at Lake Lanier Olympic Park, Sandy Springs residents Nancy Overheim and her husband, Mark, were honored as Volunteers of the Year for their longtime service. She served as safety coordinator, and Mark was in charge of set up and break down, both essential to the success of the swim that raised more than $425,000 for the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. They even used their garage as a staging area for the event.
Overheim became involved with the organization after meeting founders Sheri Hart and Megan Melgaard in 2013 at the Cherokee Town and Country Club where she was the swim coach. She quickly became hooked on the group and its mission.
Since inception, SAA-Atlanta has raised more than $2.7 million and was honored with a named lab at Aflac. “It’s a thrill to talk with researchers about the latest treatments and to see our name on a plaque outside the door,” Overheim says.
The event drew 425 swimmers, including 33 teams and a number of Olympians and Paralympians who ranged in age from 12 to senior citizens.
“Swimming in open water is very different from being in a pool,” Overheim says. “Since the water isn’t clear, you can’t see the bottom, and the weather and the water temperature are always unpredictable.”
For more information, visit swimacrossamerica.org.
