9th ANNUAL SWIM CHALLENGE 

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The English Channel Challenge for Arkansas Children's Hospital

On September 15, 2009 Noah Sarkin was critically injured, suffering a fracture to his head while practicing soccer. Four neurosurgeons at Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas performed a craniotomy, which included the cauterization of a severed artery and reconstruction of part of his skull with titanium plates.

The surgery was a wild success. Ten years later, Noah's story continues to thrive, as a senior attending the University of Kansas, where he is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Business.

In 2010, the Sarkin family established the English Channel Challenge for Children's. Its original purpose was a one-time fundraising event, a solo swim challenge crossing of the English Channel. In 2011, Noah's dad made an unsuccessful crossing attempt, but in so doing, the English Channel Challenge for Children's as an annual fundraising event was born, with a mission to conduct an annual swim challenge which must equal or exceed the 21 mile distance of the Englsh Channel crossing.

These annual fundraisers have raised more than $300,000 in support of programs provided through the Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation, including financial assistance to families for travel and lodging and providing fun and interactive environments inside the hospital for the children, programs which are only possible through donations from the public. The needs and demands are high and involve significant effort by the Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation to raise needed funds to maintain and sustain these programs so that Arkansas Children's can meet and exceed its mission to improve, restore and sustain the health of all children.

2019 is particularly significant in that it is the 10th anniversary of Noah's injury and his successful surgery. In celebration of ten years, the 9th Annual English Channel Challenge for Children's is going from sea level to one of the highest altitude pools in the world, located in Mountain  Village, Telluride, Colorado, at 9,547 feet above sea level, where the air pressure is some 30% less than at sea level. Noah will provide crew and feeding support while his dad will swim 21 miles in the pool starting at 7.00am (Mountain Standard Time)  on Saturday, November 23, 2019 (backup date of Sunday, November 24, 2019).

By doing these annual swim challenges, we seek to continue bring  attention to how fortunate our community is to have this all important internationally- renowned world- class  pediatric healthcare resource  right on our doorsteps. We also hope to do a small part to ensure that every child tucked in at night at Arkansas Children’s Hospital can feel like a child and not a patient. The children of Arkansas Children’s Hospital do not realize how much they are supported by the generosity of donors like you. The Arkansas Children’s Hospital could not provide lifesaving healthcare to hundreds of thousands of children without your help. Thank you for your generosity and support.

- Steffan, Casey, Noah and Cade Sarkin