FREEDOM RUNNERS
GRANDTOGRAND
ULTRA
Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,
Last August I met Mark “OZ” Ozdarski, a former Navy Seal, who joined our team to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. During the climb Mark shared the reason he was climbing Kilimanjaro was to raise awareness and financial resources for the Little Warriors Project, which supports the families of his fallen brothers. The funds are used to support adventure programs for the surviving Navy Seal children. When I heard this, my heart lit up! I knew immediately, I too, wanted to support this mission. I have been a guide for many years sharing my passion for adventure and respect for the earth with people of all ages. I see firsthand the positive impact the natural world has on shaping the lives of children.
In Mark's words, "Upon retirement, I pledged to uphold the promises that I made to my Teammates over 25 years of service. SEALs are prepared to run into harm’s way without hesitation because they know that their Teammates ‘have their six’, on and off the battlefield. On combat deployments, we promised to look after each other’s loved ones if one of us did not make it home. I vividly remember those promises and the years that our families sacrificed at home without a husband or father while we repeatedly deployed overseas. The Little Warriors - A Brian Bill Project - has made keeping those promises possible."
The Little Warriors – A Brian Bill Project - is a 501(c) (3) organization focused on creating opportunities to foster paternal-like mentorship for our nation’s heroes’ surviving kids. By sponsoring unique outdoor excursions, former Teammates of over 90 fallen SEALs and their surviving children can establish lifelong bonds and strong reliable relationships to assist these kids into young adulthood thereby keeping our heroes’ legacies alive.
To support these mentorship excursions, our team aims to raise awareness and financial resources for the Little Warriors projects by participating in extreme endurance challenges. Mark, Greg Thompson (a highly accomplished and experienced endurance athlete), and I will take on the Grand-to-Grand Ultra. This event, acclaimed as one of “the toughest foot races in the world”, requires participants to run self-supported over 170 miles in under 7 days from the north rim of the Grand Canyon in Utah to the Grand Staircase in Arizona. Our 3 person team is named "Freedom Runners" and we will run all 170 miles together. The race will take place September 25-October 1, 2016. There are 147 athletes participating from 22 countries. You can learn more about this adventure at: http://www.g2gultra.com
Greg and I are honored to help Mark keep his promise by competing in the Grand –to- Grand for such a noble cause. Being a part of this team, focused on our common goal, we will get through the suffering, and create a bond that will last a lifetime. Our mission is to reach the finish line and raise awareness and financial support for The Little Warriors. Please help us support these children whose fathers made the ultimate sacrifice for us all. Thank you!
To Donate:
https://www.crowdrise.com/grand-to-grand-ultra-/fundraiser/thelittlewarriorsabr
For more information about The Little Warriors:
www.navyseallittlewarriors.org
Please feel free to share this letter with your friends and network.
With respect and gratitude,
Susan Riggio
