Tim Sprinkle

SEAL charity paddles north for winter

Naval Special Warfare soldiers, commonly known as Navy SEALS, are trained to handle whatever situation is thrown at them. Experts at demolition, navigation, and clandestine warfare, four of these SEALS set out from their home base near Virginia Beach, Virginia in early December and headed towards Washington, DC in two tandem expedition kayaks. Despite high winds, ice, and miserable conditions on the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River, the group landed successfully at the Washington Canoe Club on December 6, five days and 170 miles away from home.

“Our main goal was to bring attention to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation,” explained “Scott.” “They’re not a pledge-type charity, so they rely on operations like this a few times a year to draw attention to the organization and bring in donations.” And raise money they did. Through corporate pledges and private donations, the team raised over $23,000.

The team chose sea kayaks for their maneuverability over long distances but, as only one was an experienced paddler, they spent three months training to prepare for the trip. They had planned to camp along the river, but facing unpredictable December weather the group decided to stay in hotels.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation was established in 1980 as a scholarship fund for the children of special operators killed in combat missions and training accidents. To date, over 365 students have received Warrior Foundation scholarships.

“Being a father of three, it is comforting to know that the Special Operations Warrior Foundation will take care of my family should anything happen to me,” said trip member “Chris” in a press release.

For the paddlers, the recent SEAL loss in Afghanistan drove home the importance of the Warrior Foundation. They wanted to do something noteworthy to raise money for the fund while supporting the special operations community.

“They first approached us in October wanting to know how they could raise some money for the foundation,” said Warrior Foundation spokesperson Edie Rosenthal. “Being Navy SEALS, they wanted to do something on the water, but we originally thought they were crazy trying something like this in December.”

In the end, however, their resolve paid off.

“It almost seemed like the worse it was for those guys, the more money they brought in,” Rosenthal said. “But as soon as they were done, even when they still had the ice on their faces, they were up saying that they’d ‘absolutely’ do it again next December.”

Weather permitting, of course.