A tribute to a friend - March 9th, 2007
Joe Monroe of Venice and his son, Mike Monroe, recently rowed a grueling, 65-mile track ending near Boca Grande to pay tribute to their friend, Commander Rick Murray, who has lived with Lou Gehrig’s disease for the past ten years.
“I’ve known Rick an awful long time,” said Monroe. “I thought this was a way we could honor him and help raise money for research,” he said.
The two men started at Fort DeSoto Park at the mouth of Tampa Bay, then ended their day at Grande Tours near the Boca Grande Causeway.
“Obviously weather’s a factor, but we’re hoping to do it in about 12 hours,” said Monroe prior to the race.
The men actually completed the trek in 17.5 hours, due to currents and wind, and at one point conditions forced them to row only with their left arms.
Monroe is an avid rower, and his son Mike is a personal trainer and endurance athlete who lives in New York City.
Both men have helped raise money for various causes, and the event is something they know can make a positive difference.
“Rick is real excited about it,” Monroe said. “He gets excited about the people donating money for research, and it’s a positive thing for his mental state,” he said.
Rick and Monroe, a 1962 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, have been friends since they met as young aviators in their first squadron over 40 years ago.
“Rick has done so many things … he taught himself to play music, he has a huge variety of interests, and he’s a sports trivia nut nobody can beat,” said Monroe of his long-time friend.
“Believe me, if you know Rick and the type of person he is, it’s the least we could do for him,” he said.
Monroe, who has also raised money for local organizations like the Rotary Club, thought his love of rowing and desire to help others could be combined in this event.
The trek was sponsored by Water Tribe, a group that supports water-related events in rowing, kayaking, and sailing. The Monroes have also been in close contact with the Florida chapter of the ALS Association.
“It is so inspiring to see the dedication these men have to their friend,” said Dara Alexander, President of the ALS Association Florida chapter.
“What an exciting and unique way to pay tribute to someone you care about,” she said.
Amy Holland, a communication specialist for Florida’s ALS Association, agreed this rowing event was a special way to raise money and awareness.
“It has been my pleasure to see the friendship between these two men, how they care about each other, and the lengths that they will go to in order to help one another,” said Holland.
Monroe has been to Boca Grande many times, and was looking forward to ending his race there.
“I love it (in Boca Grande) … it’s a neat place to visit and we’ve had special vacations there,” he said.
Both men had geared up for the long journey, and Monroe said he was “in pretty heavy training mode for the past month” in anticipation for the big day.
Holland said the strenuous effort paid off for ALS funds.
“The row took place on Saturday and was a huge success … the pair reached their goal of $10,000 and the total is still growing,” she said.