Will Ferrell to hit the pool for benefit

LOS ANGELES -- Now that Will Ferrell has ice skating down, he's hitting the pool.

Ferrell, star of the recently released comedy "Blades of Glory," will join University of Southern California football coach Pete Carroll and the team in a fundraiser Saturday at the McDonald's Swim Stadium on campus.

Following their final spring practice at adjacent Howard Jones Field, the Trojans will swim a position-by-position relay race, joined by the USC Song Girls. Carroll and Ferrell will take part in a "Pete vs. Will Challenge" as well.

The 27th annual swim-a-thon, known as "Swim With Mike," hopes to raise more than $800,000 for the physically challenged athletes scholarship fund at USC. The benefit has raised $6.3 million to provide more than 60 scholarships to USC and 14 other universities to athletes who have overcome serious accidents or illnesses.

The swim-a-thon began in 1981 when friends and teammates of three-time USC All-American swimmer Mike Nyeholt decided to raise money to help him recover from a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed.

What was to be a one-time event, the benefit raised $58,000, and at Nyeholt's suggestion, the excess donations were used to establish the scholarship fund.

Nyeholt joined other swimmers to help raise money the next year, and the swim-a-thon became an annual event. Stanford and Hawaii are also holding "Swim With Mike" events on April 21.