The Memorial Beach Challenge (MBC) occurs over Memorial Day weekend and consists of a soft-sand Obstacle Course Challenge—featuring Navy SEAL-approved obstacles on a two-mile stretch on the shoreline and a Kids Fun Run. The Obstacle Course is a test of physical and mental toughness and the challenge is open to both individual racers and teams of up to four. The Kids Fun Run is specially designed to let children be a part of the day's fun in support of heroes and their families.

The MBC is considered the event to open up the summer by the City of Ocean City . The local fire and police departments as well as city workers and the VFW all provide support for this event, along with local businesses. Volunteer friends and family members come together every year to help with the event to ensure its success.

All the funds raised support 31Heroes, a non-profit organization founded after the tragedy of August 6, 2011. In a single instance, America lost 30 military service members and one U.S. military K-9– when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, was downed in Afghanistan. In the wake of the unimaginable tragedy, a mission was born.

The mission of 31Heroes is to raise money and awareness through social and athletic events to support the families of Extortion 17 and honor their legacy by funding the treatment of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

I hope we can count you in this year as a partner in the MBC!  We are expecting 1,000 participants this year and last year, we had 16 different states represented with the majority coming from New Jersey and Pennsylvania.