Photo by Jay BlantonSwimmers participate in the Seventh Annual TCT7 Swim in 2018. The Eighth Annual TCT7 Swim is 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 8, at the 4-H Camp in Lake Park. 

LAKE PARK – Nearly nine years ago, 17-year-old James Eunice passed away. 

The young teen fell overboard from a boat and drowned at Ocean Pond in Lake Park Jan. 15, 2011. Tammy Eunice, his mother, said he “stepped into eternity.”

The mother of three said she and her husband, John Eunice, think about their son each day.

“I feel close to James every day,” Tammy Eunice said. “James is just as present in my thoughts as our other two children are. He never leaves my thoughts. We will miss him every day until we see him again.”

In their son’s name, the Eunices have donated more than $400,000 in scholarships to what they feel are deserving high school students.

“We have that hope and that confidence that we’re going to see him again, and so that’s why we can do this with purpose and passion and enthusiasm,” Tammy Eunice said.

To continue funding scholarships, she and her husband will host the Eighth Annual TCT7 Swim weekend.TCT stands for The Clock is Ticking.

A lunch is scheduled for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the 4-H Camp in Lake Park. Tickets are $8.

A dinner is 6 p.m. Saturday at the camp. Tickets are $15.

Sunday, Sept. 8, at 8 a.m., the swim begins at the camp. Check-in is at 7:30 a.m.

The TCT7 Swim kicked off with a silent Facebook auction that closes Sept. 5.

Items include art, gift cards, vacation getaways, baked goods, photo sessions and sports memorabilia.

During the main event, swimmers will dive into Long Pond for a one-mile, a three-and-a-half-mile or seven-mile swim.

The three-and-a-half-mile leg will officially be named the Capt. Mark Weber Legacy 3.5-Mile Swim.

Weber, 29, was a combat rescue officer who was killed in a March 2018 helicopter crash while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, according to Moody officials.

During the 2014 TCT7 Swim, Weber participated and won the three-and-a-half-mile leg, John Eunice said.

Weber’s parents will speak at the Sunday dinner.

Opening ceremonies for swim day will consist of an invocation from the Rev. Larry Houser of First United Methodist Church of Lake Park.

Members of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and kayakers will patrol the water to ensure safety. 

The TCT7 Swim was the concept of family friend Mark Tatch, according to the Eunices.

“I would say Mark wanted to start it because he felt like it would expand the story,” Tammy Eunice said. “I truly think Mark was listening to God, and he spoke to John, and we prayed about it, and this is where it led us.”

Through the swim, a difference is made, she said.

“I don’t know if the Lord peels back the curtain and lets James see,” she said. “It is incredible how one 17-year-old lived, and the reason why we’re able to continue this is not because of how good we are … This is because of who James was.”

John Eunice said the swim recognizes the way his son lived and allows him to remember him and honor God.

He said it’s a blessing and helps him and his wife move forward while also thanking and giving back to the community.

The 4-H Camp is located at 5000 4-H Club Road in Lake Park. Visit tct7mileswim.com, or search for The Clock Is Ticking 7 Mile Swim on Facebook, for more information.