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FOB Retread

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I now understand what people mean when they talk about having a calling.
I represent a group of four friends, all of us veterans from each branch of service, who for the longest time,  have been looking for a way to give back some of the blessings we have enjoyed throughout the years. Sadly we have had minimal results and even less satisfaction. It was this frustration that led us to where we are now.  
I was surfing the web one day, looking at diving locations and programs, when I came across an underwater scooter that allowed non-diver types the ability to experience all that a reef has to offer.
That's when it hit us, why don't we open a resort that would allow us to offer adaptive diving programs to Make A Wish Foundation kids,  wounded vets, Gold Star Families etc? Something like this shouldn't be unavailable to someone because of lack of funding due to a physical disability, or financial disability due to the loss of a family member.
 From the moment we made the decision to make this happen,  all the puzzle pieces started falling into place like they were being handed to us in perfect order. Every time we reach into the box for a new puzzle piece, it fits perfectly into the piece that was placed before it, and with every challenge to comes up, a solution appears.
I am becoming more comfortable with using the terms "ordained", "miracle" and "destiny", when people ask about our progress.
And then it happened.
We found the perfect place at a great price.  
Yep.
Perfect place.
Great price,
Horrible timing.
We had planned to visit  the property early spring 2017, but the owner dropped the price to his "must  have" price. We are now faced with the possibility of the property becoming so attractive that we lose it to someone else before we can get financing together.
Hence this campaign.
Here is the crazy part though.
I know that we will get the money.
Somehow.
I'm convinced that this property is for us.
I just don't know where the money will come from. We don't need it just for the property, but also to start the ball rolling so we are ready for our first guest.  The place will need some remodeling so that we can accomodate  special needs guests, and we'll also need a wheelchair accessible van.
Remember how I said I am becoming more comfortable with the terms "ordained", "miracle" and "destiny" when people ask about our progress? That's because what we are asking for and expecting to happen is so impossibly crazy that I have nothing to stand on but Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust.
What kind of crazy are we talking about?
Oh crazy like:
We need to have funding by the end of January.
I KNOW RIGHT?
I am nothing if not verbose, and yet I find myself at a loss for words when I try to express the excitement I feel about this project.
Being able to give back on this level will be like being Santa Claus; without the bad weather.
We want to provide an experience to our guests that will be unforgettable, particularly because for many of our guests, this will be a once in a lifetime experience.
I can close my eyes and see myself standing at the end of the dock waiting for our guests to arrive.  I get chills just thinking about what we are trying to do and how much of an impact we can have
.I can't wait to see the wonder in a child's eyes who, despite their body being racked by terminal disase,  experiences the sensation of breathing under water for the first time, or watching someone with a broken body experience the sense of weightlessness that comes from drift diving. 
We will indescribably grateful for any and all help that we recieve.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Organizer

Thomas Lee Craver
Organizer
Reedsville, PA

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