Two families who have spent decades vacationing here on Delmarva created “Operation Seas the Day” as a way to thank hundreds of wounded warriors for their service and give them and their families a peaceful week by the sea.
Ron Blanck says this program grew out of a conversation that two women in the area had in 2012. Becky Johns and Diane Pohanka came up with the idea of sponsoring wounded warriors and their families for a week in Bethany Beach, Del. Many volunteers got together and helped make the first event a success.
In 2013, the first group of 25 wounded warriors and their families came to Bethany Beach and were housed in donated condos and homes around the areas. There were many activities planned as well, such as boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, therapeutic horseback riding, jet skiing, yoga, spa, and more.
After the first year, they realized they may need some more people to help and they started a board of the foundation. Member of the board, Annette Reeping said she has always wanted to help do something to assist the military, since her husband was a Vietnam veteran.
Each family has a host family that is available for transportation, to answer questions, or assist the wounded warriors families in anyway possible during the week.
“This is a very special town – a very special area. People can recover,” Annette says. “The beauty of it, the peacefulness of it, the fact you can come here and people give you your space so that you can recover on your own, but yet come up and thank you.”
About 30 veterans and their families will travel to Bethany Beach this year for a week of rest and relaxation with their families, as a way to say ‘thank you.’
Operation Seas the Day 3rd Annual Warrior Beach Week is Sept. 8-13. To learn about how you can volunteer, check out their website for ways you can get involved.