A Brampton teenager will attempt to swim across Lake Erie in support of her favourite cause on Saturday, Aug. 17, weather permitting.

Elizabeth Banducci, 16, will begin in Sturgeon Point, N.Y., and finish her 20-kilometre swim at Crystal Beach in Fort Erie. She has set a goal of raising $10,000 for Defend Dignity, a registered charity that works to end all forms of sexual exploitation in Canada. Donations are being accepted through Defend Dignity's website.

Banducci is entering Grade 12 at St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School and is enrolled in the performing arts (vocal performance) program. She swims for her school team and also trains more than 30 hours a week with her coach Miguel Vadillo, owner of the Embrace Aquatic Centre in Brampton.