Support the Semper Fi fund

Friends,

I am not a hero. I do not leap tall buildings in a single bound, or have a superhero suit, or have special powers.

But I have been surrounded by heroes.

My father was a WWII Navy veteran – one of the Greatest Generation. My brother is a Navy veteran. My son is a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. And through each of them I have met or heard the stories of many other veterans, strong brothers and sisters who do defend against the forces of evil, who leap to action when called upon, and who fight for freedom – every day.

Sadly, our brave heroes in the U.S. military are not invincible. All too often while in service to us they are wounded in both body and spirit. Their life’s work takes them to the brink of danger and beyond, and that journey can add scars and take away limbs. It can leave them with traumatic brain injuries requiring rehabilitation as intense as any battlefield. And it can leave them with the haunting, disorienting, unrelenting effects of PTSD.

There is a phrase that is inscribed in the heart of every Marine: "Semper fidelis". "Always faithful" – to corps, to country, to the task at hand, to each other. "Semper fi" is more than a motto, it is a way of life.

There is an organization that lives this mission to its core - the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Since its founding in 2004, the Semper Fi Fund has provided over $20 million in grants and assistance to injured Marines and their families. Their assistance is immediate and tactical: they provide financial support to spouses and family members so they can be at bedside during months-long hospital recoveries. They help purchase adaptive vehicles and devices to aid self-reliance. And they operate Team Semper Fi, the "Recovery Through Sport" program for injured Marines that provides coaches, specialized sporting equipment, entry fees, and travel expenses to athletic events.

Though I am not a superhero, I am embarking on what is for me an epic, maybe even heroic, effort. On November 6, 2010, I’ll be competing in the Ironman Florida – 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and a 26.2 mi marathon, all back-to-back. I’ve attempted the Ironman distance before and I’ve failed to finish, but I am determined to do everything in my power to get to that finish line. I am training, and sacrificing, and when things get really tough I think about my heroes and the challenges they faced.

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund organization is effective and disciplined, and they know exactly how to help injured Marines. They have an A+ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and a Four Star rating from Charity Navigator. But they can’t help our heroes without our support.

The need has never been greater. Due to the recession, donations were down 34% last year – even as the numbers of injured Marines from the war in Afghanistan began to climb.

Please join me in supporting the Semper Fi fund. Our heroes need us. They deserve all of our help and more. I’ve made a commitment to raise $50,000 by November 6, an amount that represents a substantial challenge – a reflection, I hope, of the magnitude of their commitment in service to us. This goal will be reached just as every Marine mission is reached: together, each one of us supporting with whatever we can contribute, working as a team. To support our heroes. To be always faithful to them.

Semper fi.

Please forward this letter to all your friends and acquaintances and watch my site for special fundraising events.  Any donation will automatically make you a member of my training and support team, "Team BAD KITTY."

On behalf of every wounded Marine and Sailor, thank you for your support.