NCMEC

Swimming in lake Ontario while the sun comes up over the water might just be one of the best experiences you can have.  Furthermore the swimming at Braddock bay is second to none!  The water is clean and crisp, and never too deep.  It is the perfect spot for swimmers of all levels; whether your a super IronMan Kona Island contender, or a total novice like myself you will not be disappointed.  However, as much as I would love to talk all day about how fantastic swimming is and why it is the perfect way to start your day, I have something else in mind that I think deserves special attention.

If your going to do something awesome, like an IronMan for example, you will need a good reason why.  You will save yourself a lot of mental anguish if your reason for doing it is bigger than the problems you'll face along the way.  If your reason for doing it is smaller than the problems, then the problems might just take you out.  On top of that, if your going to do something way outside the norm, like walk across Niagara falls on a tightrope or jump off the Eiffel tower or something, you might as well raise some money for a charity while your at it!  It is really really easy to raise money for a charity when your doing something that is off the beaten path.  So pick a cause that is dear to you, and make a phone call.  While I am training for this IM I am raising money for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  Why?  Because children are AWESOME!  Trust me, i have two of the best kids on the planet myself and I, like most parents out there, would give my life to keep them safe!  I know this entry is a little more serious than most but this is something I think about as a father almost every day!  The figures are mind blowing, despite the amazing advances we have made in law enforcement and investigation in recent years.

According to the National Center, a staggering 800,000 children are reported missing each year!  There is no typo there, not an extra zero.  Eight-hundred-thousand children each year!!  If you do the math that's more than 2,000 each and every day.  An estimated 1 in 5 girls, and 1 in 10 boys will be sexually victimized before age 18!  Yet, only 1 in 3 will tell anybody about it.  These numbers seriously leave me speechless.  It breaks my heart to hear about just one story on the news of a child being taken from their family.  The numbers are just too much to take in.

The center itself is up to some incredible things to help eliminate the problem.  They offer training for local law enforcement on how to handle these situations, offer fun events for children and parenst to attend across the nation that serve to train and instruct kids and parents on how to avoid abduction, and do tons of events to raise awareness on a national level about the issues.  They offer resources for everybody from parents and guardians, law enforcement, attorneys, and even the media!  Check out their history and resources for yourself at their webpage.  Also, we have set up a donation page that i will be putting on my website and social media pages, including this blog, so that you can donate to their cause.

About the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Resources for Parents and Guardians

Click here to donate.

Please consider donating or participating in one of their events.  In the words of Mr T "I pity the foo that would lose or exploit my kids!!"

Seriously though, together we really can make a dent in those totally unacceptable numbers.