Last Week Around the -ISTs
Schieffer's Out of Gov Race
![True Stories Can Be Stranger Than Fiction [Extra Extra ]](http://austinist.com/assets_c/2009/01/nightskyline-thumb-110x110-53663.jpg)
True Stories Can Be Stranger Than Fiction [Extra Extra ]
Two days ago, Austinites David Broyles and Rush Vann successfully completed a 12.5-mile swim across the Strait of Gibralter, from the Spanish coast to Morocco. The extraordinary feat took just under five hours.
In the days leading up to the final crossing, the two were unsure as to whether water and weather conditions would hinder their attempt -- a July 15th journal entry on the official site tells of formidable wind and waves, the former gusting over 30 knots and the latter swelling over 7 feet. Despite heavy waves and cold water, Broyles and Vann set out a few days later, becoming the 16th and 17th Americans to make this journey.
The event was a charity fundraiser for Salute America's Heroes, a nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation chartered with providing support programs for veterans wounded and disabled during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. As of June 2006, this means nearly 19,000 US troops.
All told, Broyles and Vann have managed to raise over $53,000. It's an impressive number, but still short of their hoped-for $100,000 figure. You can still donate at the link below, or mail stuff to:
The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes
c/o David Broyles
3704 Rivercrest Dr.
Austin, TX 78746
[Donation Page for Swim the Strait 06]
Congrats, guys!
Photo from firstgiving.com donation page
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Good stuff!
I was one of 6 people who personally made the trip to Spain to observe this and I just want to say that it was one of the coolest and most amazing human achievements I have ever seen. I helped pull these guys out of the COLD water shivering right as the sky was going dark. It was most impressive.
Please still donate if you can, the fund raising will continue through September, and every little bit helps. It doesn't matter what you think about the war, real people are being afected by it and this is an easy way to show your support for the people who are envolved!! Thanks Rush and Dave for all you efforts!