Purdue students tread water for hours to raise money for wounded vets

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - "There's only so much we can do. We're not great in the kitchen. We're not going to have a bake sale but we can tread some water," Navy Special Operator First Class Abe Trindle said.

A group of Purdue Navy ROTC Naval Special Warfare Operations Preparatory program students were treading water to raise money for wounded veterans Sunday. NROTC Battalion Commander Daniel Daugherty said about 10 students will be in the pool for hours on end.

"For about five hours they're all going to be going at the same time so a lot of people sponsored them for this so it's really exciting that we got to finally do it," Daugherty said.

The money raised by the tread-a-thon will help send wounded veterans, specifically special operation soldier's with combat related injuries, to Camp Atterbury in Southern Indiana for a week long outdoor experience. Navy Trindle organized the fundraiser in just 13 days after realizing there was a lack of money to fund the event.

"Part of being a service member is serving overseas, but also when you're at home and our small group of 10 young men who want to pursue a career in Naval Special Warfare just came together and had an idea that we need to help out with that fiscal shortfall," Trindle said.

A Navy Seal himself who's served three tours of duty in Iraq, Trindle said, while at Camp Atterbury wounded soldiers will get a chance to reconnect with the outdoors in a way their combat related injuries haven't previously allowed them to do.

"Some are double amputees, some have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, some have Traumatic Brain Injury and myself, I'll be a guide on that hunt and we've set up locations where they can be inserted into a situation where they can harvest a white tail deer or catch some fish," Trindle said.

An important weekend not only to the warriors, but also the NROTC students in the pool.

"We're the younger guys, we're the ones coming in, but it's really important to be able to take care of the guys coming out," Daugherty said.

If you'd like to help send wounded warriors to Camp Atterbury next week you can send a donation to the following address:

Checks payable to: NROTC Purdue

Attention of: Special Operator First Class Abe Trindle

Armory Room 203

812 Third St.

West Lafayette, IN 47907

All donations must be received by Oct. 15.