I am so excited to be participating in the 8th Annual Swim With A Mission! Each year, participants in this event raise money in honor of one of New Hampshire's 94 fallen heroes who died in the line of service during the Global War on Terror. I will be swimming the 1 kilometer distance.
This year, I am raising funds in honor of USMC Corporal Michael Ouellette from Manchester, New Hampshire. Cpl Ouelette was 28 years old on March 22, 2009, when he sustained fatal injuries while deployed in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. While on combat patrol, an IED detonated, causing him catastrophic injuries, only to be immediately followed by an assault from enemy fighters. Cpl Ouellette continued to direct his squad, as well as radio operators to summon support and ambulance crew. He refused to be evacuated until his whole squad was ready to leave the area. He succumbed to injuries while being transported back to base.
Cpl Ouellette's ultimate sacrifice highlights the courage and selflessness shown by our nation's veterans and service members. The many veterans services supported by SWAM illustrate our gratitude for their acts.
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 New Hampshire Veterans community and provides grants to worthy Veteran service and support programs. Grants from SWAM provide support for services 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. Please visit http://www.swam.org to learn more about the organizations that Swim With A Mission supports.
As a former collegiate athlete, I enjoy competing in physical events like this one, as well as triathlons and charity runs throughout New Hampshire and New England. Most events of this nature raise funds for non-profit organizations and I prefer those events that benefit military service members and their families. My husband is a wounded veteran of the US Marine Corps. My grandmother is a US Navy veteran, as was my grandfather and my step father. They were both laid to rest in the New Hampshire State Veteran’s Cemetery in Boscawen.
There were times in my step father’s life when he relied heavily on Harbor Care of Nashua, a non-profit organization that provides homeless veterans with high quality housing, health care, and mental health/substance abuse treatment. This is one of many NH organizations supported by Swim With A Mission. I feel deeply about fundraising for an organization that supports critical services such as these.
Please help me reach my fundraising goal. Any amount will make a difference in the lives of Veterans and their families!!
Thank you!!