VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL)--The parents of a Valdosta teenager who drowned more than three years ago continue to share their son's legacy.
This weekend they are having a fundraiser to honor him.
Seventeen year old James Eunice left his home to go duck hunting on the morning of January 15, 2011.
"James left out about 8 o'clock and went out with his best friend Drew Pipkin to Ocean Pond," said Tammy Allbritton Eunice, James' mother. "James was in the boat by himself. Drew was across the pond. The next thing Drew knew there was an empty boat spinning in the pond."
That began a 17-day search for James. His body was recovered January 31 by Moody Air Force Base's 23rd Wing. James' parents say there are many stories to share from the non-stop search.
The story they treasure the most is one about a teenage boy with a big heart.
"Our message is a simple message of loving God and as an extension of that, loving others." said Allbritton-Eunice. "For James that was anybody he encountered. We are carrying this message forward that James left for us to finish."
James wrote a poem called "The Clock is Ticking" following the death of one of his classmates in 2010.
"Share the words from 'The Clock is Ticking,'" said John L. Eunice, James' father. "Take time to love someone today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life. Those 219 words have been the focus of what we do and why we do it."
This weekend's swim is named after that poem. The goal is to have at least 50 people participate.
James' parents say he continues to make a difference in the lives of those who knew him, and those who have come to know him after his death.
The Eunice's say all ages are invited to participate in the TCT7 swim.
The money raised goes to the James Eunice Charity Fund.
Https://www.facebook.com/TheClockIsTicking7MileSwim?fref=ts
http://www.tct7mileswim.com/www.tct7mileswim.com/Welcome_to_TCT7.html
