Long-distance swimmer Emily von Jentzen of Kalispell is plunging into Flathead Lake this morning for another marathon fundraiser.

She will swim for at least 24 hours to raise money to help 5-year-old Isabella Allred of Polson, who is battling leukemia. Isabella is about eight months into her 2 1/2 years of cancer treatment. Her illness has forced her father to quit his job to care for her. While Isabella’s mother works full time, the family is struggling financially to afford trips to Spokane for Isabella’s treatments.

Von Jentzen’s non-wetsuit swim starts this morning at the Somers boat launch. A longtime marathon swimmer, von Jentzen began doing charity swims four years ago, when she became the first woman to swim the 30-mile length of Flathead Lake. In 2011 she was the first person to swim the 50-mile length of Lake Chelan in Washington, and in 2013 she attempted to swim 70 miles across Canyon Ferry Lake near Helena but had to stop at 34 miles.

She has raised thousands of dollars during each swim, each time for a child in need. Von Jentzen is an assistant attorney general for the state’s Child Protection Unit in Kalispell.

The Enduring Waves Foundation was started as a nonprofit organization that accepts letters of interest from families with children in need of medical treatment.

To donate to the swim for Isabella, go to www.enduringwaves.com. Von Jentzen also writes about her training and swimming in a blog at enduringwaves.blogspot.com.