Swimming 13 miles sounds like a gargantuan feat, even for a highly trained Navy SEAL, but that’s exactly what’s supposed to occur Thursday, Aug. 21, when four SEALs set out to swim the length of Sebago Lake to raise money for Camp Sunshine in South Casco.

Camp Sunshine provides a week, sometimes more, of fun and relaxation for children struggling with life-threatening illnesses. Thanks to private and corporate donations, there is no cost for the children or their immediate families to attend the camp on Sebago Lake, which features all sorts of activities ranging from kayaking in the summer to cross-country skiing in the winter. The year-round camp, located next to Point Sebago Resort (same founders), has 24-hour, on-site medical support, but is more of an oasis for kids struggling with disease. The camp has partnerships with about 200 hospitals nationwide that refer patients.

Greater Portland residents are familiar with Camp Sunshine, founded in 1984, since several local businesses provide volunteers or host events that raise money for the camp. From Scarborough Downs and Idexx to L.L. Bean and the United Way of Greater Portland, many corporate partners raise money to help the camp continue to operate year after year. Besides donating money, spring and fall cleanup days at the camp draw dozens of these companies’ employees. Many individual volunteers help with day-to-day programming, as well. In recent years, Windham’s Ron Eby and South Portland’s Dot Gonyea have been recognized for their creative fundraising and volunteer spirit – Eby by the NASCAR Foundation and Gonyea by the New England Patriots.

But, in their zeal to help Camp Sunshine, no one that we know of has ever swum the length of Sebago Lake as a fundraising strategy. That is a unique quest, and two local SEALs, who, by federal regulation, can only be named by first name and last initial (Mike W. of Windham and Lew E. of Westbrook), and two of their fellow SEALs are going to attempt it Aug. 21, starting at 6 a.m. The SEAL team will start at the southernmost part of the lake in Standish and finish 13 miles later at Point Sebago Resort. It’ll take about six to seven hours, they estimate. Welcoming them at the end will be none other than the Freeport Flag Ladies, a fitting end that will surely boost their energy levels.

Besides being amazed at anyone who dares attempt such an athletic adventure, we hail the four men for their feat, which will draw attention to the Casco camp and its noble cause. While they’ll be feted afterward for their accomplishment, the SEALs would be the first to say their muscular aches and pains pale in comparison with what Camp Sunshine kids are going through. Though not much can be publicized about the SEAL team members, a fundraising website provides photos and explains that most have served for many years and have multiple tours of duty in war zones. It is appropriate that the four men aren’t yielding much information about themselves, not only for the associated occupational hazards, but also because their goal is to promote Camp Sunshine, not themselves.

The SEALs aim to raise $80,000. If you’ve never considered giving to Camp Sunshine, now’s the time. Not only is the beneficiary group – kids battling disease – a worthy one, but the camp is worth the investment. It regularly earns plaudits from organizations measuring feedback from volunteers, donors and recipients of services.

The upcoming swim is just one of many Camp Sunshine benefits around our area and across the nation, but it is probably the most unique and challenging to date – though we also admired the attempt to build the world’s largest sandcastle a few years ago. Watching those SEALs emerge from the lake will be a sight to behold.

So, if you want to get in on the good fun, you can donate to the cause at the event’s website, www.sealsforsunshine.org. Or you can make a bigger pledge and reserve a seat or table at the gala that will take place Friday night, Aug. 22, with the SEAL team in attendance. Gorham-based Shaw Bros. Construction, whose co-owner Dan Shaw sits on the Camp Sunshine board of directors, is a major sponsor of the event, matching donations up to $25,000.

With so many getting geared up for this epic fundraiser, let’s do our part, as well. The SEALs don’t let us down on their missions, so let’s help them with their $80,000 goal.

–John Balentine, managing editor