Leggett's Tom Petty Day
Bands All DayMike Dalton · Joe Coghlan · Eddie Carson · Jimmy Druiett · Frankie Palmer · Joel Krauss
Tony Nardini · Lawrence Haber · Pat Roddy · Amy Hariegel · Larry Hart
benefiting Foar the Brave
A fundraiser for veteran mental health
When
Sunday, April 12, 2026
2:00 – 6:00 PM
Where
Leggett's · 217 First Ave, Manasquan NJ
Cover
$20 Door · 100% to Foar the Brave
Leggett's Tom Petty Day will direct the $20 door proceeds to Foar the Brave in support of veterans' mental health. Come to Manasquan for an afternoon with the crew before they ship out to California in June. Meet the rowers, hear the mission firsthand, and be part of the community sending them off right. We are deeply grateful for Leggett's sponsorship of this event and our efforts.
Can't make it in person?
Donate online — every amount fuels the row and the cause. Or follow the journey and share their story.
17.6
veteran suicides per day — VA official (2022)
6,398
veterans lost to suicide in 2023
61%
were not receiving VA healthcare
18–34
highest-risk veteran age group
The VA's most recent report records 17.6 veterans dying by suicide every single day. America's Warrior Partnership's Operation Deep Dive estimates the true number may approach 44 per day when unreported self-injury deaths — often overdoses — are counted. The gap between those figures reflects a system that still isn't capturing every loss.
In 2023, veteran suicides fell by 44 total deaths from the prior year — a rare moment of measurable progress. It is not nearly enough. FOAR THE BRAVE rows to accelerate it.
Partner charities
Hard Rock Charlie Foundation
Charlie Mike Foundation
Honor
Sub Zero Mission
World's Toughest Row — Pacific 2026
2,800
miles of open Pacific Ocean
~62
days average crossing time
5K+
calories burned per rower per day
On June 6, 2026, the crew will depart Monterey, California and row — without engine, sail, or resupply — across 2,800 miles of open Pacific to Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i. No assistance. No rest beyond two-hour sleep windows. Waves up to 20 feet. Salt sores. Sleep deprivation compounding daily. Just four men, one boat — the Overwatch — and a cause worth every stroke.
Rowers alternate in two-hour shifts around the clock for the entire crossing. Each is expected to lose upward of 26 lbs on the water. Everything needed for two months at sea is aboard the RX45 racing shell from the moment they push off.
StartMonterey, California
FinishHanalei Bay, Kaua'i, Hawaii
LaunchJune 7, 2026
BoatRX45 — "Overwatch"
ClassFour-person, fully unsupported
Race Timeline
July 17–22
Est. Finish Window
The 2026 Pacific Ocean Rowers
JL
Joe Leach
75th Ranger RGT/SF · LTC (R) · 26 Years
WTR Atlantic Rower 2023. 75th Ranger Regiment and Special Forces. Came back for the Pacific because the mission isn't finished. Hometown: Warrenton, MO. Currently: Apex, NC.
IP
Ian Pienik
20th SFG · LTC (Active) · 24 Years
Currently serving at USSOCOM. Retires May 2026 — then immediately rows 2,800 miles across the Pacific. A longtime mental health advocate within the Special Operations community. Hometown: Scranton, PA. Currently: Largo, FL.
JP
John Pallasch
Public & Government Service · 25 Years
25 years of public and government service. Dog lover. Avid Ohio State fan. Rows to honor a deep, lifelong respect for the armed forces. Hometown: Rockford, IL. Currently: Aiken, SC.
SR
Steve Robinson
Air Traffic Controller · 23 Years
A master of high-pressure, zero-margin environments. Son of a Vietnam veteran. Scholarship football player. Proud father of two daughters. He rows for the vets who didn't make it home whole.
Your Mission — Collaborate With Us to Make an Impact
Strategic partnership levels offer visibility, recognition, and the chance to be part of something historic. Every dollar goes directly to veteran mental health.
Prominent name/logo featured on the boat. Signed oar. Premier logo placement on event materials/website. Opportunity to speak at fundraising events. Team photo with sponsors.
Prominent name/logo featured on the boat. Premier logo placement on event materials/website. Team photo with sponsors. Featured social media posts. Merch swag bag.
Prominent name/logo featured on the boat. Logo placement on event materials/website. Featured social media posts. Merch swag bag. Acknowledgement at all Team events. Shout-outs on social media stories and live video updates during the race.
Logo placement on event materials and website. Featured social media post. Merch swag bag. Shout-outs on social media stories and live video updates during the race.
Merch swag bag. Shout-outs on social media "stories" and "live" video updates during the race.
Your Support — Equipment Contributions
Support the team with in-kind donations or specific requirements:
Become a Strategic Partner
Contact the team to discuss partnership opportunities and make a lasting impact on veteran mental health.
Health & performance · Time donated to the crew
Dr. Veera Gupta, DC
Sports Chiropractor · Wim Hof Method Instructor · Author · Optimum Health Chiropractic, Manasquan NJ
A Palmer College honors graduate (2007) with nearly two decades of elite athlete care, Dr. Veera brings her "whole person approach" to the Foar the Brave crew — treating root causes, not symptoms. That philosophy is exactly what a 62-day unsupported ocean row demands. She is a certified Wim Hof Method instructor, training athletes in cold exposure, breathwork, and mindset — the same pillars that separate ocean rowers from everyone else.
Her book Built From Stardust draws on decades of medical research to argue human performance has no ceiling. Dave Asprey describes her as "a real pro who understands things about your nervous system and performance that no one else knows." A deeply rooted Shore Area local, she has served as Medical Director at events from SUP Around Manhattan to the Princeton Children's Triathlon, provided free care to Hurricane Sandy victims, and earned a Joint Legislative Resolution from the New Jersey Senate.
CCSP Sports Chiropractic
Active Release Technique
Wim Hof Certified
Certified EMT
KT Tape Practitioner
Nutrition Counseling
NJ & NY Licensed
Dr. John Volpe, DC
Chiropractor · Co-Owner, Optimum Health Chiropractic · Former Competitive Rugby Player
Dr. John knows what it means to push a body past its limits. At the University of Wyoming he helped lead the Men's Rugby team to the national championship, then went to Australia to compete professionally. A cliff-diving injury left him with six months of debilitating back pain — chiropractic care corrected what medicine couldn't, and he was so impressed he became one himself.
A Palmer College graduate specializing in sports injury and whole-body wellness, Dr. John brings the same intensity he brought to competitive athletics to his patients. Together with Dr. Veera, he runs a practice that athletes describe as "genuinely fixing the body — not managing it."
Palmer College, DC
Sports Injury Specialist
Diversified & Activator
Flexion-Distraction
Toggle Recoil
