Firefighter Who Swam Lake Chelan for Seattle Children's Exceeds Fundraising Goal
Kunz swam the 50-mile-long lake to raise funds and honor the legacy of a special baby girl who lost her life to hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Last September, firefighter and rescue swimmer Brandon Kunz embarked on an epic 50-mile open-water swim in the glacier-fed waters of Lake Chelan to honor the memory of Jacqueline Grace Parker, a baby girl who lost her battle to hypoplastic left heart syndrome in 2023, and to raise funds for Seattle Children’s Hospital in her name.
The goal was to raise $10,000 which would go to Seattle Children’s “Greatest Needs Fund” but when all the donations had been tallied, Kunz had raised nearly double that.
But Kunz’ wife Ashley, a nurse, admitted that when he told her about his idea she found it “a bit far-fetched” and even dangerous, but she never doubted that he had the dedication or perseverance to pull it off.
“As I started seeing him train and become serious about this swim, I started feeling anxious,” she wrote. “It’s not the kind of swim you just jump into without proper training and support, and I was worried about his safety as words like rhabdomyolysis, hypothermia, and drowning filled my mind. Especially since he had never done anything like it before. The RN in me told him he had to do it the right and safe way, or he wasn’t allowed to do it. And he said ok.”
She and their five kids became his logistics and support team and were a big part of what made his swim successful. Kunz undertook a grueling training regimen for months before making the attempt and I covered that last year.
Ashley said simply achieving what he set out to do is a feat, but what’s really incredible is how Brandon inspired others to get involved.
“What Brandon did is what he often does wherever he goes, he invites people to participate, to join in, to partake in a cause that means something. He took something that was already extraordinary (swimming 50 miles) and envisioned how he could turn it into something bigger and better than himself,” she said. “Watching his raw emotion as he finished his swim, living with him while he physically and emotionally recovered for several weeks afterward, and then reading all of the stories of people who gave to the Children’s Greatest Needs Fund because of his swim and motivation, made me pause. It choked me up.”
Brandon said he’s grateful Washingtonians have a hospital like Seattle Children’s dedicated to taking care of sick children like Jacqueline. But he wants people to understand that they currently have more than 330 families with children receiving treatment there and the need is great.
“My biggest takeaway is knowing that the money we raised is going to such a great cause and every penny of it is meaningful,” he said.
When it comes to advice for others looking to use their special training or skills to support worthy causes like Seattle Children’s, he said it all starts with the first step.
“If you’re thinking about doing something for Seattle Children’s or another charity, then do me a favor and tell one person you’re going to do it. That’s the first step, which is the hardest one” he wrote. “Once you take the first step then the rest come easy. Before you know it you’ll have changed someone’s life forever, including yours.”
Ashley said she’s proud to be a member of the North Central Washington community because they gave so readily to a cause that she and her family feel so passionate about. She said every child deserves the very best quality medical care, and that’s what Seattle Children’s provides, so being a part of making healthcare more affordable for those who need it the most is huge for them.
“The obstacles and challenges those families of sick children face each day are so raw, so overwhelming, that to be part of a cause that helps to relieve the burden those families carry is an absolute privilege,” she said.
You can check out a first-person video of Brandon’s last outdoor training swim in the Columbia River before he embarked on his Lake Chelan swim below.
And if you would like to donate to the Seattle Children’s Greatest Needs Fund you can do that here.
Whoa! Outstanding!!!