The sixth annual Brent Rice Memorial Swim of the Sound is coming up on August 20th.

Swimmers don wetsuits and brave cold waters to swim 2.3 miles across Puget Sound. The waters from the Des Moines Beach Park to Point Robinson on Maury Island are a chilling fifty degrees Fahrenheit, but swimmers keep coming back for more. Not only are the swimmers racing across for themselves, they are contributing to the Brent Rice Memorial Foundation.

The Brent Rice Memorial Foundation was founded in 2006 to honor Brent Rice, provide swim lessons for low-income families, and to help fund aquatic safety classes throughout the Puget Sound area.

The swim was started in 2006 by 17-year-old Justin Moser, who wanted to honor his friend and mentor Brent Rice who passed away just over six years ago in a car accident.

Rice once did the swim himself as a personal challenge from one of his brothers. He was a local swimmer, who competed at both the state and national level, receiving All-American honors.

With the help of sponsors, donors and athlete contributions, the foundation has raised just over $10,000 from the past five swims. The goal is to raise $20,000 this year, which can provide more than two thousand swim lessons for children in the Puget Sound Area.

The swim is run by the help of volunteers, US Coast Guard, Des Moines and various fire departments. The swim is one of the few events where swimmers cross Puget Sound. For more information on swimming, becoming a sponsor or donating visit www.brmsos.com.