THE REASON BEHIND IT
On February 28th, 2020 Dustin “Swammie” Lang became one of the 22 American veterans that lose the battle to post traumatic stress and depression every day. Swammie was a Marine veteran who did three tours to Iraq earning a Purple Heart and a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. Though there is nothing we can do to change what happened that day. We can make a difference. By raising awareness and funds for programs committed to taking action, the Swammie Shuffle will begin to redeem that day. We will not forget what happened, but we will not be crippled by it. We will use it as a reminder to reach out, to love each other, and to provide assistance for those who are struggling.
The runners in this event will begin at Sanbridge Beach in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and run 100+ miles south through the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Hatteras Light House. Once reaching the lighthouse they will turn around and run back.
While we understand that running 200+ miles isn’t for everyone, we ask that you make a difference in whatever way you can. If you can make a donation, please do. If you can’t run, and aren’t able to make a donation please spread the word about Mission 22 and the resources they provide our veterans.
Our veterans are killing themselves at an alarming rate!
Did you know that while suicide rates in America rose 23% from 2001-2014, veteran suicide rose 32% during that same time?
Did you know that our veterans are 21% more likely to commit suicide than our civilian counterparts?
Did you know that we lose more veterans per year (8030) to suicide than were lost to combat during the entire Iraqi and Afghanistan wars combined (6916)?
Are you aware that female veterans are 2.4 times more likely to commit suicide?
Please help us help them…
THE RACE DETAILS
The race will begin at 8am Sunday (Anyone not present at the start of the event will be dropped) and will end at 8pm Friday. This gives runners five and a half days to complete the more than 200 mile course. The first and last 20ish miles will be along the beach between Sandbridge Beach VA and Corolla NC. From there you will be running on sidewalks and shoulders going through the Outer Banks of NC. There are three lighthouses along this course. The first in Corolla, the second on Bodie Island, and the third is the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is also the turnaround point. The last few miles before the finish are on the beach in the back bay refuge. Runners cannot be on the refuge from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. In addition to the lighthouses, it is possible you will see the wild horses of Corolla during this event. Support is completely up to you, however you can not ride in a vehicle at any time. You may get in a vehicle that is not moving, but you cannot ride in a vehicle or mark the course. The race itself is not providing aid. We recommend you have someone to support you. There are several stretches between towns where there are no stores for 20ish miles at a time. The race will have volunteers who will come and pick you up if you find you are unable to continue. When and where you sleep are up to you, but you have to make it there on your own. At the end of the day this race is intended to raise funds, so we are limiting what we provide as much as possible to ensure the money raised is going toward preventing veteran suicide. There are only 30 open spots for those participating in person. If you have questions please reach let us know and we will do our best to answer them.
SWAG
Though this race is a fundraiser we are still offering some swag to recognize such a significant undertaking.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
100% of funds raised from this race will be divided between the Awareness N Action and Mission22 charities. These are charities committed to tackling veteran suicide and other veteran’s issues. Mission 22 is an extremely reputable organization that does amazing work and offers significant resources to our veterans seeking help with PTSD, depression, etc. We started Awareness N Action to make a more grass roots impact. Awareness N Action looks for smaller local organizations that are helping veterans with these same issues. We also look for creative ways to help that are not directly tied to PTSD assistance. Many of our veterans will have a hard time asking for help, so we look for opportunities to get them connected in other ways, such as finding and funding martial arts studios that will offer free veterans’ classes on a regular basis.
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