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The Laconia Daily Sun

BEDFORD — Swim with a Mission will host their Open Water Swim Festival this summer in July, with events around the Lakes Region to support and honor Veterans. 

The Paintshoot event will be held July 11, in Center Barnstead. Registration is available for $25,000 for a team of 10. Twenty teams will be led by a Navy Seal in team building, leadership training, mental acuity, and competition.

The Swim event on July 13 will be held at Wellington State Park on Newfound Lake in Bristol. There will be music, raffles, food, swim races, K-9 competitions, Black Hawk helicopters, military demonstrations, and 30 Navy SEALs in attendance. The New Hampshire National Guard will present demonstrations, and Navy SEALs and Manchester Police will face off in a K-9 challenge. Swim race distances are 1K, 5K, 10K, and 10K team relay. Fundraising is not required, but assistance is available for those interested in fundraising.

The top fundraising team will be assigned a Navy SEAL to swim on their team, and there will be prizes for all fundraising levels. 

The Swim event, started in 2017, has raised $1,200,000 in two years. The 2019 combined goal for the events is to raise $1,000,000. The funds will support organizations including Veterans Count, Dan Healy Foundation, Children of Fallen Patriots, Elite Meet, and Navy SEAL Museum-Trident House Charities.

To learn more, visit www.swimwithamission.org.