Windy25 Memorial Fund 5K

Frenzied Finishers

On March 25, 2017, I will be participating in the Windy25 Memorial 5K in Las Vegas in honor of CW2 Clint Prather, CW2 David Ayala, SSG Chuck Sanders, SPC Pendelton Sykes, and SPC Michael Spivey who lost their lives in Afghanistan on April 6, 2005.

This cause is personal to me - I was a former platoon leader in Big Windy.

I lived with two of the crew of Windy 25, CW2 Prather and SPC Spivey, for almost a year during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2003-2004. We conducted split-based operations in support of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in the western portion of Iraq around Al Asad.

While every death is felt in a unit, the proximity of living with these men, learning about their lives and sharing jokes and comraderie to maintain morale made their deaths even more personal and painful. I use their memory and the circumstances surrounding their deaths to help guide me as a leader and an officer as I conducted two more years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have been fortunate to not have tragedy strike again.

Please help me in my efforts to support an incredible organization that gives support when the surviving family members of our fallen heroes need it the most.

This run will benefit the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). TAPS provides direct support to families who have been impacted by a death in the military regardless of geography or circumstance. The funds I raise will flow directly into TAPS programming which supports these families through an amazing network of resources, seminars and publications. TAPS provides these services at no charge to survivors from all branches of the service, including Reserves and National Guard. TAPS’ programs and services are available not only for immediate family, but also for extended family and friends. Please help me honor our fallen Windy25 heroes by supporting me in this effort.

The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, TAPS, is a national non-profit veterans organization. It provides immediate and long-term emotional help, hope and healing to all who are grieving the death of a loved one in military service to America. TAPS meets its mission by providing peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, casework assistance and connection to community-based care.

I appreciate your help and be assured that 100% of all proceeds no matter how big or small, go to funding the TAPS organization.

If you would like to help beyond donating or participating in the run, please consider joining my team or just send this message and a link to the page to just three of your friends. It will help us get the word out to everyone! The more people who know, the bigger the impact we can make for the surviving family members of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Very Respectfully,

James Fischer

Major (Retired), USA

Captain, Frenzied Finishers 

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Poker Chips

We thank our Windy25 Partners for their incredible support.

Windy25 Partners are a group of distinguished institutional and corporate sponsors that share our goal to raise funds for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), as a tribute to our Windy25 crew. TAPS’ mission supports the loved ones of America’s fallen heroes with 24/7 compassionate care, children’s grief camps, survivor seminars, and family assistance.

Our Sponsorship levels match the denominations of the poker chips featured at the casino of our host, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Brown-Chip Tiered Sponsor -- $5,000 and Above

Yellow-Chip Tiered Sponsor -- $1,000 to $5,000

Purple-Chip Tiered Sponsor -- $500 to $1000