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TIFFANI SHERMANMilitary and civilian teams take on a series of five tasks to raise $40,000 to grant 20 kids with life-threatening illnesses a shot at happiness.
SAFETY HARBOR - The Marines came. So did the Navy and the Coast Guard. Not to fight a war, but to battle each other and other teams.
The sparring began early at Saturday's Mission Possible Challenge at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa.
"The Navy's covering the kayaking," Marine Staff Sgt. Martin Buck said.
"The Marines are covering security," Navy Petty Officer Mike Witsil said.
All teams came to help the Kids Wish Network, a nonprofit organization based in Oldsmar, try to raise $40,000 to grant wishes for 20 children with life-threatening illnesses.
Each player had a button with a child's picture to wear throughout the day. The Marines competed for an 8-year-old named Brandon, who has Duchennes muscular dystrophy.
During the week, the five Marines worked to recruit and made sure new Marines were ready for boot camp.
They're used to tough tasks.
"Hopefully, that's to our advantage at the end of the day," Staff Sgt. Patrick Miller said.
The Marines joined with five people from Southwest Airlines to complete the team of 10.
The event was organized by TeamBuilders, a Tarpon Springs company that does corporate staff development training. The program that TeamBuilders assembled normally would have cost the participants $42,000. On this day, the fees that each team paid went to the Kids Wish Network.
For the event, TeamBuilders put together a series of five tasks for each team to complete in only three hours. Some took brains, others brawn.
First, the quantum puzzle, 14 boards that fit together in just one way. The Marines finished first. The Coast Guard came in two minutes behind.
"Hey, Navy, need some help?" Buck said.
The Navy wasn't finished by the time both the Marines and Coast Guard took off on stage two, a bike ride and kayak.
"It's working out. We're a good team," said Shanni Cook, a Southwest Airlines ticket agent and a member of the team with the Marines.
Then came the problems.
The communication radios didn't seem to work, so two Marines took off running to find a missing and lost biker.
Searching involved a 4-mile run for the two men.
Meanwhile, both the Coast Guard's biker and kayaker came back to begin stage three.
The Coast Guard was now in the lead.
They stayed there through stages three, four and five to win the competition.
The Marines finished the day one minute behind.
"We don't ever come out and go for second place," Miller said. "We're not used to losing."
But he still had a sense of humor.
"Navy is still looking for their kayaker," he said.
Little Brandon, the boy with muscular dystrophy, might not ever learn about the armed forces' battle to grant his wish. All he'll know is that one day he'll be on his way to Disney's Magic Kingdom.