The Navy Seal Foundation/Frogman Swim - Charity Fundraiser

Bill

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On Sunday, January 17th, I’ll be participating in a 5k (3.1 mile) swim across Tampa Bay as part of a fundraising effort for The Navy Seal Foundation. I’ve seen a lot of support for the military here and thought this charity might be of interest to some of you.

“The Navy Seal Foundation provides immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and it’s families.”

This year marks the 12th anniversary of the Tampa Bay Frogman Swim and registration sold out in under 20 minutes. I’m happy to have gotten a spot and am excited to raise as much money for the cause as possible. I’ll be swimming and my wife will be my support kayaker.

All donations go directly to The Navy Seal Foundation and I’ve included a link to my fundraising page below. I’ll be posting updates to my training there, as well as on Facebook, for anyone who wants to follow along.

Donate Here

My Facebook

The Navy Seal Foundation

Tampa Bay Frogman Swim

*Admin approved post
**All donations go directly to The Navy Seal Foundation

*** The Navy SEAL Foundation is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt, national non-profit charitable foundation. They are audited annually and the final report is posted on the Foundation’s website for public review and publication, as is the annual IRS 990 filing.
 
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On Sunday, January 17th, I’ll be participating in a 5k (3.1 mile) swim across Tampa Bay as part of a fundraising effort for The Navy Seal Foundation. I’ve seen a lot of support for the military here and thought this charity might be of interest to some of you.

“The Navy Seal Foundation provides immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and it’s families.”

This year marks the 12th anniversary of the Tampa Bay Frogman Swim and registration sold out in under 20 minutes. I’m happy to have gotten a spot and am excited to raise as much money for the cause as possible. I’ll be swimming and my wife will be my support kayaker.

All donations go directly to The Navy Seal Foundation and I’ve included a link to my fundraising page below. I’ll be posting updates to my training there, as well as on Facebook, for anyone who wants to follow along.

Donate Here

My Facebook

The Navy Seal Foundation

Tampa Bay Frogman Swim

*Admin approved post
**All donations go directly to The Navy Seal Foundation

*** The Navy SEAL Foundation is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt, national non-profit charitable foundation. They are audited annually and the final report is posted on the Foundation’s website for public review and publication, as is the annual IRS 990 filing.
Just Donated GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE MY MAN
?????????????????????????????
 
Just Donated GOD BLESS YOU BROTHER
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE MY MAN
?????????????????????????????
Thanks for the donation, that’s awesome.

And to be clear, I never served but my dad and plenty of friends have and we’ve always done what we could to support active duty and veterans.
 
Thanks for the donation, that’s awesome.

And to be clear, I never served but my dad and plenty of friends have and we’ve always done what we could to support active duty and veterans.
Very Cool My Man. PRAYING FOR YOU TO RAISE A TON OF MONEY. ? ? ?
 
This mornings swim was a little brisk and costly. 65 degree air temp and 66 degree water temps. The skies cleared once we got started but water conditions deteriorated.
Set out to do a 5k yard swim and a rogue wave capsized the kayak my wife was paddling just over 4,200 yards in. One iPhone and one pair of RayBans lost to the sea.
The picture was taken when we got there.

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I am IN!! ? (y) ? ?
 
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Thanks guys. With your help I was able to hit my fundraising goal of $2,000 today. But, don’t let that stop you if you want to donate something. Every bit helps and in 2019 almost 80% of their budget was spent to directly fund their programs. The remaining funds were used for fundraising, general overhead and other supporting services.
 
Just nailed a 3 mile training swim today. We found out that we won’t be able to use the city park that normally acts as the finish. Thankfully an American Legion post, that happens to be on the water, stepped up and is letting us use their property to finish at. Overall it adds a little distance, 3.5 miles compared to the original 3.1, and straightens the course. That means that instead of swimming at an angle across bay, in the direction of the outgoing tide, we’ll be swimming 90 degrees to it. So that should add a little difficulty. But hey, it’s 2020, no surprise there.
 

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Just nailed a 3 mile training swim today. We found out that we won’t be able to use the city park that normally acts as the finish. Thankfully an American Legion post, that happens to be on the water, stepped up and is letting us use their property to finish at. Overall it adds a little distance, 3.5 miles compared to the original 3.1, and straightens the course. That means that instead of swimming at an angle across bay, in the direction of the outgoing tide, we’ll be swimming 90 degrees to it. So that should add a little difficulty. But hey, it’s 2020, no surprise there.
That’s awesome. Be careful of sharks. GOD BLESS and Merry Christmas ?????????
 
Today was a little chilly .... 48 degree air temps, 56 degree water temps. Made for a brisk 3 mile training swim.
 

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Coming down to the wire, event is this coming Sunday (1/17). Should be a good time, If not a little chilly ... but the after party should be a blast.
 

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Every participant in the Tampa Bay Frogman event swam in honor of a fallen Navy SEAL.

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Let me introduce you to Medal of Honor recipient Petty Officer Michael Monsoor, killed in action September 29, 2006 at the age of 25 in Ramadi, Iraq. Born in Long Beach, CA on April 5th, 1981, Monsoor gave his life protecting his fellow SEALs and Iraqi Army soldiers by falling on a grenade tossed into their rooftop position.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_A._Monsoor


Medal of Honor citation

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to

MASTER AT ARMS SECOND CLASS, SEA, AIR and LAND
MICHAEL A. MONSOOR
UNITED STATES NAVY

For service as set forth in the following CITATION:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006. As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army sniper overwatch element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent-held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element's position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy's initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor's chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
 
Yesterday’s Tampa Bay Frogman Swim was amazing! It was the 12th year, my first time participating, and won’t be the last.

The morning started off early with us getting to Gandy beach at 6am to unload the kayak, get checked in and settled before the opening ceremonies. 7:30 rolled around and things officially got underway with the SOCOM parachute team putting on a great display of precision jumping and landed right in front of the kayak staging area. Next, the names of the SEALs lost since 9/11 were read aloud. It made for a somber moment and really helped solidify what we were all there for. The National Anthem followed and by 8am the first swimmers hit the water to make their way across Tampa Bay, with waves of swimmers following every 5 minutes for each of the 7 waves. All in all, 138 swimmers took part in the swim.

The day started out really nice with mild temperatures and little, to no, wind. As it got closer to the start of the swim, the winds picked up a little bit and cloud cover promised to keep the skies overcast. The water temp was a balmy 61° and the current delivered as promised and proved to be a major player in the swim.

There was a nice, long lead up to the finish that took the swimmers and kayakers past a viewing area where Gold Star families and others in attendance could cheer the swimmers home. From there it was a quick cleanup and off to the after party.

The silent auction and awards got things started while everyone enjoyed some post-race food and drinks. And a powerful and emotional speech really drove home the day’s goal and the overall mission of The Navy SEAL Foundation.

I had a complete blast and can’t wait to do it again. Thanks to everyone who donated and helped raise funds for such a great organization. Thanks to Frances for acting as my support kayaker and guiding me across Tampa Bay. Thanks to Heather and Kim for waking up early on your weekend and coming out to sherpa gear and a kayak around for us and to be there at the finish with warm clothes, and maybe a little whiskey. And thanks to all the organizers, volunteers and support staff that made this event possible.

#tampabayfrogman #thenavysealfoundation #neverleaveamanbehind #theonlyeasydaywasyesterday
 

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Yesterday’s Tampa Bay Frogman Swim was amazing! It was the 12th year, my first time participating, and won’t be the last.

The morning started off early with us getting to Gandy beach at 6am to unload the kayak, get checked in and settled before the opening ceremonies. 7:30 rolled around and things officially got underway with the SOCOM parachute team putting on a great display of precision jumping and landed right in front of the kayak staging area. Next, the names of the SEALs lost since 9/11 were read aloud. It made for a somber moment and really helped solidify what we were all there for. The National Anthem followed and by 8am the first swimmers hit the water to make their way across Tampa Bay, with waves of swimmers following every 5 minutes for each of the 7 waves. All in all, 138 swimmers took part in the swim.

The day started out really nice with mild temperatures and little, to no, wind. As it got closer to the start of the swim, the winds picked up a little bit and cloud cover promised to keep the skies overcast. The water temp was a balmy 61° and the current delivered as promised and proved to be a major player in the swim.

There was a nice, long lead up to the finish that took the swimmers and kayakers past a viewing area where Gold Star families and others in attendance could cheer the swimmers home. From there it was a quick cleanup and off to the after party.

The silent auction and awards got things started while everyone enjoyed some post-race food and drinks. And a powerful and emotional speech really drove home the day’s goal and the overall mission of The Navy SEAL Foundation.

I had a complete blast and can’t wait to do it again. Thanks to everyone who donated and helped raise funds for such a great organization. Thanks to Frances for acting as my support kayaker and guiding me across Tampa Bay. Thanks to Heather and Kim for waking up early on your weekend and coming out to sherpa gear and a kayak around for us and to be there at the finish with warm clothes, and maybe a little whiskey. And thanks to all the organizers, volunteers and support staff that made this event possible.

#tampabayfrogman #thenavysealfoundation #neverleaveamanbehind #theonlyeasydaywasyesterday
GOD BLESS YOU BILL AND ALL ALL THOSE WHO SERVED IN THE MILITARY.
You are a really good dude. I'm glad you are on here. ? ? ? ?????????:cool:
 
Glad to hear it was a success Bill!
 
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