Special Joggin’ for Frogmen Shadow Event Planned in Memory of Local Veteran

HAWTHORN, Pa. (EYT) – A special Joggin’ for Frogmen Shadow Event, titled “Sergeant Chuck’s Fancy 5K n’Ruck,” will take place in November in memory of Sgt. Matthew “Chuck” Brinker.

According to organizer Bruce Brinker, the idea for the event came naturally from his own participation in previous Joggin’ for Frogmen events in Pittsburgh and his desire to honor his brother, Sgt. Matthew “Chuck” Brinker.

Sgt. Matthew Brinker was a Hawthorn native and 2000 Redbank Valley graduate who served as a scout sniper for over four years in the Marine Corps, with one deployment to Afghanistan and two to Iraq. He then moved on to the Navy, where he successfully completed Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal (BUD/S) training, became a SEAL, and served for over six years, with one national tasking deployment.

Known as “Sgt. Chuck” to many of his fellow Marines, he received two combat action ribbons, an Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon, two Iraq Campaign Ribbons, and was an expert rifleman and pistol expert.

“We have a plaque he got from the Marines that says Matthew ‘Chuck’ Brinker, and I always thought that was funny,” Bruce Brinker told exploreClarion.com.

“He gets a lot of notoriety for being a SEAL because it’s just a really cool thing, but he spent most of his time in his deployments with the Marines. I wanted to use that nickname to remind people he was also a Marine, too.”

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Sadly, after returning home from his deployments, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome took its toll, and Matthew Brinker lost his final battle with it in July of 2018.

“A veteran suicide,” Brinker noted, not shying away from the brutal truth of his family’s loss.

However, his own loss is part of what inspired him to get even more involved with Joggin’ for Frogmen this year.

Joggin’ for Frogmen is a series of races honoring the sacrifices of Naval Special Warfare service members and veterans, and supporting the families of fallen heroes. It was inspired specifically by the U.S. Navy SEALS (sometimes referred to as “Frogmen”).

The very first Joggin’ for Frogmen 5k Run/Walk was held in San Diego on July 29, 2012, to mark the one-year anniversary of the Extortion 17 helicopter tragedy in Afghanistan. The event was intended to be a tribute to the 30 American warriors and one working dog lost that day.

However, it then expanded over the years, and now numerous annual races are held, and this year, all proceeds will go to the Travis Manion Foundation, a non-profit organization that develops programs, training opportunities, and events designed to empower veterans and families of the fallen and inspire them to pass on their values to the next generation and the community at large.

“The main focus is on veterans and families who have lost veteran family members. The organization really helps people and allows people who are grieving to do something and get out and connect with others,” Brinker noted.

After only having virtual Joggin’ for Frogmen events available last year, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brinker was looking forward to joining an event again this year, but then discovered something interesting when he began searching for them.

“They had a new thing for ‘Shadow Events,’ and that’s what I decided to put together.”

This is a big year for Joggin’ for Frogmen, marking the ten-year anniversary of the tragedy that the first event was created to mark, Brinker noted.

He also noted that once he began to consider organizing a Shadow Event, he realized he had the perfect place to do so, with the Redbank Valley Trail running right through Hawthorn.

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“I’ve been using the trail a lot since I moved back to the area. And, it just kind of made sense to have an event here.”

One of the great things about having a Shadow Event, Brinker said, is that Joggin’ for Frogmen provides the sign-ups and the event “swag” for participants, which include a t-shirt, drawstring backpack, and a medal marking their participation, as well as already being established with funds going to support a veteran-centered organization.

The other thing Brinker stated is important to him is honoring his brother’s memory and everything he accomplished.

“I would like for people to be inspired. I want people to know that he was just a kid from a small town and a poor family, but he didn’t let that stop him. As far as I know, Matt is the only Navy SEAL to ever come from Clarion County, and I think that’s something people should know about.”

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“Some kids may look at what he did and think ‘I could never do that,’ but that’s wrong. Matt had to work his butt off to learn and improve his swimming, and it wasn’t easy for him, but he did it. That’s what keeps me going. He was a person who figured out how to unlock something special in himself, and I believe other people can do that, too.”

The Sgt. Chuck’s Fancy 5K n’Ruck/Joggin’ for Frogmen 10 Year Anniversary event is scheduled to begin at Mile 24 of the Redbank Valley Trail, located at 967 Walker Flat Road, Hawthorn, at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 6.

Anyone interested in participating can find more information on the Facebook event page.

Registration for the event is available here.


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