UD’s Dodge Veterans Center to Host Navy Seal Swimming to Honor Goldstar Families
Aug 12, 2015 | University Relations
During the week of August 10, 2015, Chris Ring, a Navy veteran, will be logging his swimming miles as he makes his way down the Mississippi River traveling from the river’s headwaters in Minnesota to eventually arrive at the Gulf in time to attend the annual Army/Navy football game. Ring started his swim on the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, and anticipates completing the swim in November.
For three days, the University of Dubuque and the Sergeant Jeffrey B. Dodge Veterans Center will host the team:
Wednesday, August 12 – 6:00 -7:00 p.m., Dodge Veterans Center, Blades Hall
This meet and greet that is open to the public; attending will be the SEAL Team including Chris Ring, Justin Renker, and Seth Martenson.
Thursday, August 13 – Gold Star Family Dinner, Dodge Veterans Center
Gold Star families will be honored at a private dinner at which a City of Dubuque Proclamation will be read and presented.
The mission of Legacies Alive, the non-profit organization in Washington, PA sponsoring this event, is to honor the sacrifice of our nation’s fallen heroes and the Gold Star Families they leave behind. During the swim Chris Ring will unite and connect with families along the Mississippi River, and raise national awareness to what a Gold Star Family is, so when the average American hears “Gold Star Family, they recognize that family lost a loved one in service to our country for their betterment.
The University of Dubuque’s Sergeant Jeffrey B. Dodge Veterans Center was established in Spring 2014 in honor of Jeffrey B. Dodge C’68 who was a casualty of the Vietnam War. The mission of the Veterans Center is to provide a seamless transition from military life to civilian college life, provide relationships to encourage intellectual, spiritual and moral development and a zeal for life-long learning and service.