Today’s post is from Amanda.  Every year she devotes time to a cause very near and dear to her heart; helping give back to the families of fallen service members.  Last June we held a fundraising workout to raise money and awareness for TAPS, and her post today is a follow-up of those efforts.

Every Memorial Day, a number of active duty military and former military men and women make our annual pilgrimage to Washington, DC on Memorial Day weekend. We do this by train, plane, and automobile. As many of us know, Rolling Thunder also, um, rolls into town. They honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We, who make this trek for TAPS, do so to honor and support their families. Tragedy Assitance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is committed to the grieving family members and friends of fallen soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and coastguardsmen.

This is often the only time, annually, that these amazing kids are around fellow kids who have lost a parent or sibling. They, upon death of their serving family member, return to a hometown, often far away from the military family with whom they have grown up. At TAPS, they are not alone; they all have unique stories and experiences, and we honor their grief.

Last year, Crossfit Intrepid hosted a Saturday dedicated to raising money for TAPS. Between the day-of donations and online donations, CFI raised $1500. As I write this, I do so with tears of appreciation in my eyes. I can not thank you enough for your generosity. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Our donations cover the costs of the various activiites we do with the children to help them work through grief. We can only do this weekend, and other regional seminars, through contributors’ generosity. We fly in the families. We house them. We feed them. And we are there, throughout the weekend, to be alongside them. The greatest reward as a mentor is seeing the mentees, after years of working through their own grief, come alongside as mentors themselves.

Thank you again for your thoughtful contributions. Thank you even more for your thoughts, your prayers, and your blessings on this organization and what we try to be for these families. I wish you all a blessed Memorial Day weekend.

WOD 5.27.13