Swimming for refugees

Furman Professor of English Melinda Menzer

Furman University English Professor Melinda Menzer had two missions on Nov. 2 when she swam across the United States-Mexico border at Amistad Reservoir on the Rio Grande near Del Rio, Texas. The first was to raise awareness of the global refugee crisis, marked by nearly 26 million refugees. The second was to fundraise for HIAS, formerly known as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which is involved in helping asylum seekers at the southern border. Menzer’s 10-mile, six-hour swim was covered in the Del Rio News-Herald.