Week 28 of #52weeksofgiving - Swim With A Mission - NH Veterans Organization
For week 28 of #52weeksofgiving, we are spreading the word about the 2022 Swim With A Mission, happening on Saturday, July 16th at Newfound Lake in Bristol, NH! The open water swim race honors veterans and the 93 New Hampshire soldiers who have died in service to our country since 2001 in the Global War on Terror.
After the race, the Celebration of Heroes Event will also take place at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium from 4 to 9:30 p.m. All swimmers and volunteers can attend for free.
Swim With A Mission (SWAM) is a New Hampshire-based nonprofit Veterans organization and the swim race is their original fundraiser event. Funding benefits other wonderful charities such as Veterans Count, the Travis Mills Foundation, Hero Pups, and many more.
Find details on how to participate or volunteer in SWAM22 and read on to learn more about this unique Veteran support organization.
About Nonprofit Veterans Organization Swim With A Mission
Founders Phil and Julie Taub started SWAM with the mission of leveraging their creativity and networks to support worthy Veteran organizations. The founders were frustrated and concerned about the gaps in care and resources for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
So, Phil and Julie decided to combine their passion for Veterans, lake life, and swimming. They started with their original event, Swim With A Mission, for which they chose Newfound Lake — the cleanest lake in the Northeast! Five years later, the event welcomes hundreds of swimmers and volunteers dedicated to raising money for various Veterans organizations. Thousands of spectators also show up to enjoy the Veterans festival after the swim.
Today, SWAM hosts two more annual fundraiser events:
Paintball With A Mission: Groups enjoy a unique team building day led by a Navy SEAL learning how to work better as a team and playing paintball in a private tournament. It’s perfect for corporate teams, businesses that want to bring their customers or vendors, or any group that wants a fun-filled bonding experience.
Green Beret Mission Challenge: The ultimate physical, mental, and teamwork challenge is led by U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret Soldiers. It is perfect for adventure athlete teams with a Crossfit or other sports background who want to test their endurance and experience the challenges that Army Special Forces soldiers face in their real-world missions.
Their work and experiences so far have enlightened the SWAM team on Veterans’ specific needs. They are now focusing more on addressing the invisible wounds that so many warriors suffer through by providing service and support dogs to Veterans and creating art programs.
K9 With A Mission
Service and support dogs can help Veterans with the transition to civilian life, often as they work to overcome physical and mental injuries, including but not limited to:
Mobility limitations
Traumatic brain injuries
Post-traumatic stress disorder
An elite canine can bring vital structure and companionship to his elite operator. The K9 With A Mission program is a collaboration with Baden K-9 in Ontario and the Navy SEAL Museum K9 Project to bring a service or support dog to every SEAL and Veteran who needs one.
Arts With a Mission
Art therapy can be another powerful tool for Veterans, particularly those living with PTS, PTSD, and traumatic brain injuries. SWAM recognized that there were no art therapy programs for Veterans in the Granite State, so they began a collaboration with the Veterans Administration, the State of New Hampshire, Veterans Count, and the Currier Museum.
A few recent Arts With A Mission efforts include:
Bringing Portraits of Courage to New Hampshire, a unique collection of paintings of Veterans by President Bush.
Working with local artist Chris Ward to raise money to support art therapy programs.
Publishing a book about New Hampshire Veterans.
How to Support Swim With A Mission
Those who wish to support the nonprofit Veterans organization can choose from several ways to donate or get involved!
Participate or volunteer in one of their signature fundraisers.
Donate to SWAM22 or the Green Beret Mission Challenge by sponsoring a participant.
Shop SWAM merchandise while supporting Veterans.
Make an easy online donation.
Don’t forget to join SWAM this Saturday, July 16th, to have fun while helping raise money for Veterans! Check out full event details. You can also keep up with their work by following them on Instagram @swimwithamission or Facebook.
And remember to share your favorite charity with us and tell us why you love their cause!
