Dear Friends and Family,
As many of you know, my friend and cousin, Captain Philip J Dykeman, USMC, was killed in action on June 26, 2008, while serving our country in Iraq. Phil died at the young age of 38 leaving behind his wife of 10 years, 3 children – Austin, 10; Emilee, 8; Ashley, 8 – and an extended family stretching across the country that miss him dearly with every passing day.
Personally, Phil and I shared so much through our lives – his mom and my mom are twins (we grew up together); I introduced him to his wife, Ginger and I am the Godfather of his daughter Ashlee. I struggled to deal with the tragedy of the death of my cousin and friend. I needed an outlet – a way to handle the pain and to show the world my pride in his service and my love for this great man. I decided to run a marathon – ‘Team Dykeman’ had its first member.
I started running a few weeks after Phil was killed – it felt right, but I still needed a true purpose.
Thanks to the support and help from many people, the Captain Philip J. Dykeman Memorial Scholarship was formed. Through fundraising efforts during my first marathon last November, continued contributions throughout the year and the very successful first annual Captain Philip J. Dykeman Golf Tournament, we have raised almost $9,000 and are proud to have issued the first scholarship this past June to Ryan Martin of Paul V More High School (Phil’s alma mater) who is now attending college for Physical Therapy – congratulations, Ryan!
We are tremendously grateful for the success that has been achieved and the support – both moral and financial that we’ve received. Team Dykeman has grown to well over a hundred members with runners joining in from all over the country. Our next big race is the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC on October 25, 2009. Team Dykeman has 14 runners participating and we are again seeking your support.
I have listed below the mailing address for Paul V More High School. Please help make the second year for Team Dykeman perpetuate this amazing first year by making a monetary contribution to the Captain Philip J Dykeman Memorial Scholarship. We truly need your support to ensure this scholarship fund can and will continue. Once again – this is your opportunity to show Phil’s wife and kids and all of Team Dykeman how much America appreciates the sacrifice that Captain Dykeman has made for our country.
You can make donations by check to:
Paul V. Moore HS Endowment Fund*
Please notate in the Memo: ‘Dykeman Scholarship’. Please fill out the donation form below and mail to:
Central Square School District
Attn: Mrs. Lisa Fox, Treasurer
642 South Main Street
Central Square, NY 13036
*Don’t forget to check to see if your company has a matching program – you may be able to double the impact of your contribution!
If you’d like to learn more about Captain Philip J. Dykeman you can visit http://www.teamdykeman.com. Here you will find information about:
•Phil’s service in the Marines
•Phil’s numerous awards and recognitions
•Phil’s incredible experiences in Iraq
•Phil’s emails to ‘Cousin Andrew’ during his time in Iraq
•Photos
•Comments / memories from Phil’s family and friends
•More about ‘Team Dykeman’ and our purpose and goals
You can also keep up to date on the upcoming races that Team Dykeman will be running on Facebook! If you have any questions, you can email me at andrew_fsi@yahoo.com or call me at (919) 795-3971.
One last note – I want to extend an invitation to all of you to come to the marathon on October 25th in Washington DC – it will be an event to remember! There are 30,000 runners, and over 300,000 spectators.
On behalf of my cousin Phil, his family, and everyone who believes in supporting our troops, fallen soldiers and the families they leave behind – I thank you for your time; for your consideration and for your support.
I am not a Marine, but I run for one.
Always Faithful,
Andrew J. Bateman – Raleigh , NC
Proud Cousin of Captain Philip J Dykeman, USMC
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Yes! I would like to show my support for Captain Philip J. Dykeman and his family:
Name(s) ________________________________________________________________
Address_________________________________________________________________
Phone _________________________________________________________________
Email _________________________________________________________________
Check Enclosed #_______________
Date _______________
______$25 ______$50 ______$75 _____$100 ______$500 ________$1000
______Other $___________
Make Check Payable: Paul V. Moore H.S. Endowment Fund
Important: Note “Dykeman Scholarship”
Mail to: Central Square School District, Att: Mrs. Lisa Fox, 642 South Main Street, Central Square , NY , 13036
TeamDykeman Blog 
Good luck this weekend! Hope you all have a great marathon!
A lot of individual and collected time and efforts have been dedicated to this event…it is sure to be a phenomenal experience for all of us – runners and supporters alike. We are thrilled with the level of response we’ve gotten and can’t wait to get to Washington! We’re on the road, now…kids snoozing in the back :o) Look out DC – here comes a Team with a mission! GO TEAM DYKEMAN!!
We heartily congratulate Team Dykeman for successfully completing the MCM. What an achievement for a great cause.
We are honored to make a contribution to the Scholarship fund in Captain Phil’s honor.
Judy and Frank Austin
Nice looking site and I like the way you write. I just love using WordPress as well. Where did you get your theme?