New Orleans, April 22, 2024 -- Holy Cross Junior Logan Beebe, a member of the Holy Cross swim team read about the Navy SEAL Foundation New York City SEAL swim team and was eager to use his swimming ability for a charitable cause.
The Navy SEAL Foundation New York City SEAL Swim is a multi-sport open-water swimming event held in New York City, NY that brings together Former SEALs, Veterans, Police Officers, Fire Fighters, and First Responders from across the country. The event starts at the Empty Sky Memorial in Liberty State Park in New Jersey and ends at the World Trade Center in Manhattan, NYC. Participants enter the Hudson River at Liberty State Park, NJ, and swim to the Statue of Liberty, where they do 100 honor pushups and 22 pull-ups for our nation’s freedoms and civil liberties. Participants then swim from the Statue of Liberty to Ellis Island, where they do 100 honor pushups and 22 pull-ups for our nation’s diversity and all those who came to our nation seeking a better life. Participants then swim across the Hudson River to Battery Park, Manhattan, NYC, where they grab American Flags and run to the World Trade Center in Manhattan, NYC. At the World Trade Center, participants do 100 honor pushups and 22 pull-ups to honor all those who lost their lives on 9/11, Extortion 17, and all Americans who put it on the line for our nation.
With several obstacles in his way such as location, age, and academic obligations he turned to his teammates to get creative and ultimately get the job done. They began looking for a way to execute in Louisiana to not have travel expenses or to miss school. It was unsafe for minors to do the open water swim portion of the competition, so they swam the 5500-meter swim in the Southern University of New Orleans pool. The team completed all the pushups and pull-up portions of the original event. They collected several sponsors who were inspired by their idea and ultimately raised $5500 for the Navy SEAL charitable foundation, exceeding their goal of $5000.
It was a day of great patriotism, honor, and charity enjoyed by all. The mental strength, heart, and athletic ability that these young men displayed through this challenge was unprecedented. It comes as no shock that upon completion of this amazing swim, the team would go on to win the Division II Louisiana State Championship.
During our school liturgy on April 19th, the team presented the Navy SEAL Foundation with a check of their fundraising efforts. The team was celebrated by the school and given Navy SEAL Foundation challenge coins for their hard work and contributions. Holy Cross is so impressed by the initiative of Logan Beebe and the support of his team!
About Holy Cross:
Holy Cross School is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school founded in 1849 by the Congregation of Holy Cross to educate young men in the greater New Orleans community. Holy Cross is fully approved by the Louisiana State Department of Education and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools as a college preparatory school for boys in grades PK-12.