Elite Frogs Returning To Lake Wawasee
Last year the Elite Frogs parachute display team comprised of U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted onto Venetian Island on Syracuse’s Lake Wawasee.
The event was privately arranged, but a large number of individuals came to watch. R.H. “Bud” Stickle, a resident of Venetian Island, talked to others who were involved the following day and he established The Wawasee Navy SEAL Foundation Inc., a way individuals can make donations to help the SEALs and their families.
On Aug. 25, the Elite Frogs Parachute Team will again provide a fundraising parachute jump at 4 p.m. over Lake Wawasee and will again target Venetian Island. Individuals can boat to Johnson’s Bay to view the choreographed presentation of the colors and demonstrations of the team’s skills and training.
The presentation of the colors will include a 2,500-square-foot American flag made specially for this event. It is also the largest flag ever to be jumped.
Individuals are being asked to make a donation the day of the event as a net will be passed from boat to boat. Those who wish can make a tax deductible donation to the Wawasee Navy SEAL Foundation online, by mail or on the day of the event.
To make it even better, individuals can also be sponsors: Red at $500, white at $1,000 and Blue at $1,500 and above. Tandem parachute jumps will be offered on Aug. 24-25 for $1,200 to raise additional funds.
The fundraiser is for the Navy SEAL Foundation. The funding for the SEAL Foundation comes solely from donations.
The Seals proudly and heroically serve the country every day. SEAL Team 6 was behind the killing of Osama bin Laden. Three months later, 30 American servicemen — 22 of whom were SEALs — lost their lives on Aug. 6, 2011, when the Taliban shot down a U.S. helicopter over Afghanistan.
Stickle himself served with the predecessor of SEAL Team 4, Underwater Demolition Team 21, during Vietnam and is an active member of the UDT/SEAL Association, Foundation and Museum. He has made it his passion to make sure the family members of those who do not come home are cared for.
The Elite Frogs Parachute Team is a team made up of active duty and retired Navy SEALs. This is an experience viewers will never forget.
The Navy SEAL teams are the most feared and respected commando force in the arsenal of the U.S. military special forces. Some members of the team have retired from the Navy with over 20 years of service. Most team members have had at least five years experience on the Navy Parachute Team, the “Leap Frogs.”
Several members have logged over 6,000 parachute jumps. During their skydiving careers, each team member has mastered the art of Freefall and Canopy Relative Work, performing for more than 24 million spectators both internationally and throughout the continental U.S.
Each member of the team is highly qualified in various aspects of skydiving. The team is self-sufficient with respect to carrying out a professional demonstration with each member holding a D-license and a Pro Rating. Team qualifications and ratings consists of USPA Safety and Training Advisory, FAA Senior Parachute Rigger, professional cameramen, Tandem Masters and Accelerated Freefall Instructors.
Combined, the team has over 100 years of parachuting experience, together with a total of over 30,000 jumps.
To make a donation or learn more about Wawasee Navy SEAL Foundation Inc., a 501(c) (19) tax exempt, non profit charitable foundation contact Stickle at 2215 Valley Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46218, call (217) 445-2004 or visit www.wawaseenavysealfoundation.com.