Hello friends,
I hope this mesage finds you well and enjoying your summer. I'm writing to share that on July 13th I'll be completing a 5km open water swim to raise money for veteran charities as part of the 8th Annual Swim With A Mission.
This swim is particularly meaningful because I will be swimming in memory of my highschool classmate and teammate, Sgt. Russel M. Durgin. Russ always did hard things well. We played lacrosse together and he was always the first on and last off the field for practices and games. During particularly grueling conditioning sessions he would run every sprint like it was his last and then, while we were all doubled over and dry heaving, he'd crack a joke that made you laugh so hard you forgot that your legs were on fire. And after high school Russ enlisted in the Army. He served in Iraq and then in Afghanistan. On June 13, 2006 he was killed by small arms fire in the Korengal Valley.
In the immediate aftermath of Russ's death his mother asked that we never forget him. I wish I could say that I've thought about Russ every day, but that wouldn't be true. He's never fully left my mind, but instead of standing front and center, he's been a wallflower, quietly cracking jokes in the hollows of my memory. Russel was far from a wallflower in life though and when I can I try to conjure him up as he was- Hulking, kind and full of life.
Fast forward to 9 months ago. I'd started swimming regularly as a way to get in shape and found a sport I didn't know I'd been missing. I quickly grew to appreciate the moving meditation it offered, the time alone with my thoughts as well as the challange and satisfaction of doing a hard thing every morning. Sometime in mid winter I learned about Swim With a Mission and the charities it supported and started to consider signing up. When I learned I could swim in memory of a fallen NH soldier that sealed the deal. I decided to do a hard thing for a good cause.
Since then, most mornings of the week I've been in the pool training. And Russ has been with me. During particularly grueling workouts he's cracking jokes at the wall. His laugh flows by with the bubbling in my ears on each turn and I smile in between breaths and forget how much my lungs burn.
Please help me reach my fundraising goal. Any amount will make a difference in the lives of Veterans and their families. The money that is raised will go to worthy Veteran service organizations both locally and nationally. Go to http://www.swam.org to learn more about the organizations that Swim With A Mission supports. Since 2017 Swim With A Mission has donated over $7 million for Veterans through a variety of events including this swim event.
Swim With A Mission
On July 13th, Swim With A Misson is excited to hold it’s 8th Annual Event which consists of competitive swim races. Participants can choose to participate in a 1K, 5K, 10K or 10K Team Relay swim at Wellington State Park in Bristol, NH. All participants are encouraged to raise funds that will go to support Veterans who need our help more than ever. Go to swam.org for more details.
Since being founded in 2017, Swim With A Mission has given almost $10 Million to service and support organizations that provide critical services to our Veterans.
Every year, SWAM focuses on important needs in the Veterans community and provides grants to worthy Veteran service and support programs. Each organization submits an application for a grant so we can consider how the money we raise each year can make the most impact in the community. The recipient of the grants provide services and support including mental health services, scholarships for children of a parent who died in service, taking care of homeless Veterans, providing rides and financial assistance to Veterans, providing health care services to Veterans, providing permanent housing for Veterans, K9’s for Veterans, and help with PTSD.