CINCINNATI -- Hundreds of swimmers crossed the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Newport Sunday morning.
The Bill Keating Jr. Great Ohio River Swim sent participants about 900 meters from the Sawyer Point Serpentine Wall to Newport, and then to Public Landing.
The event benefits the Outdoor Adventure Club of Greater Cincinnati, a group which brings students from 23 urban high schools outside for hiking, paddling, fishing and cycling, according to organizer Brewster Rhoads.
The swim was renamed in honor of Keating this year because of his contributions to the event and the local swimming community, Rhoads said. Keating was diagnosed with brain cancer last year and died from it earlier this year.
Keating's daughter, Caroline, is a former winner of the swim.
"It's an honor to all of us," she said. "He tried to get everybody down here to do it."
The younger Keating said the event has grown a lot since it began.
"The first year we did it, there weren't a lot of people interested in jumping in the Ohio River, so there wasn't a lot of competition," she said.
