A number of families spent the morning by the pool at Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Berlin, but not to escape the heat. They were raising money for veterans in need.
And behind it all are two young teens.
The Ahern family gathered their community on a beautiful day to do something beautiful: give back to those who put our country first.
"Being a swimmer for the past 10 years, I was like, you know what, let's do a swim-a-thon," said Kara Ahern, of Plantsville.
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Sunday was Kara's 4th annual swim-a-thon fundraiser for Scoops for Troops, an organization her brother Michael started in 2019, when he was just 8 years old.
Scoops for Troops benefits the Travis Mills Foundation Retreat in Maine, a place for post-9/11 veterans who were wounded during their service.
"Loss of limbs, spinal cord, or brain damage," said Ahern. "It's allowing families to go and bond with other families, and other families are going through the same thing and see that they're just not alone," said Kara.
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"I'm very proud that she has thought to make her own event, and you know, it's very beneficial for us, and it just makes me very happy to see," said Ahern's brother, Michael.
The brother-sister duo says they're happy to see people getting involved. One family was there for the first time on Sunday.
Brittany Arbour, of Southington, says she and her two sons pledged to swim 100 laps.
"We're actually on 106 right now so we're above our goal which is awesome," said Arbour. "Being able to swim and do it together as family all for a good cause has been wonderful."
Since 2019, Scoops for Troops has raised more than $100,000.
To date, they've helped 16 veterans and their families go to the retreat. The goal is to send eight more next month.
"I feel really honored. It's really like rewarding just to see that money goes straight to them," said Kara.
"It's a feeling you can't really explain. It's a rush of happiness, and it's just something you can't describe," said Ahern's brother, Michael.
But it doesn't end here for the Ahern family. They'll be hosting a charity golf tournament on August 15 with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation at Tunxis Country Club in Farmington. For more information, click here.
