Seamus Maclean Davey Foundation
We believe imagination and creativity to be key elements essential to self development, relationship building, and worldwide progress.
The Seamus Maclean Davey Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit, created by Blue8 to expand upon charitable outreach programs for veterans and children. Together SMDF and Blue8 are dedicated to healing and self development through sportive arts. We embrace storytelling and action performance arts like Dance, Parkour, Martial Arts, and Yoga to engage emotional connections, enact self expression and promote a healthy body, mind, and soul.
Charitable Focus
Veterans healing from physical and psychological damages
Veterans pursuing careers in Arts and Entertainment
Gold Star Kids: Families of the fallen.
Youth: whether from a low-income household, or deeply in need of healthy emotional outlets, SMDF and Blue8 believe that lack of finances should never be a barrier to a child’s ability to grow.
About Seamus
Seamus Maclean Davey was a United States Marine that gave his life to protect his brothers while serving as an operator on a Force Reconnaissance team. Two of those surviving brothers founded Blue 8 and stood up SMDF to carry out charitable operations for veterans and at risk youth in his name. He he was our teammate, friend and hero. Seamus had a heart for kids struggling to fit the mold. He shared our passion for physical fitness and artistic endeavors. Before our deployment he spent time working with youth in sports as a mentor and coach. To best describe him we reference the final passage from the Recon Creed. “A Recon Marine can speak without saying a word, and achieve what others can only imagine.”
Two days before his 26th birthday we prepped our gear for that fateful mission and spoke in casual tones about what would we do after the deployment. The top rack made a convenient work table in the cramped homes we called “Cans”. Being a college theatre major on a reconnaissance team had its drawbacks and I had grown accustomed to the fraternal jabs thrown my way for being a thespian. So naturally I went onguard when Seamus looked across the rack at me and said “ Hey Ocho, So tell me what the deal is with this Hollywood stuff your doing..” I thought I was about to catch another round of banter but was surprised by the discussion that followed. I learned that day that Seamus was a writer, a singer and had interests in acting. Seared into my mind I remember that knowing laugh and half grin as he ended the most unexpected conversation. “ Yeah man I wouldn’t mind coming up...make some movies with you. Tell some stories.. I’d like that.” Then it was time to go to work. He hit repeat on the Bob Marley playlist to set the melody for our return. With mellow filling the air we gathered up our gear and departed. Seamus never got the chance to pursue those dreams. I had to stop the tunes and we blow out the candles on his cake without him. He was the best of us. That is no post mortem exaggeration. He was the toughest most natural recon marine and out of anyone we all thought it would be him that made it home. Which, of course, is why it was Seamus Maclean Davey that saved the team. We always kept an open seat for him on missions and to this day we keep a space for him in our hearts.
The Founders
Two of our co-founders Chase Rivera and David "Blue" Walther served together in the United States Marine Corps as Force Reconnaissance operators. Through the suffering of firefights, helicopter crashes, IED explosions, and fallen brothers they were lead to powerful restorative arts that addressed the physical, psychological, and spiritual pains associated with such experiences.
The Shaolin Monks and Samurai were some of the first warrior cultures to adapt practices that addressed PTSD. After experiencing war, the Samurai had meditation, flower gardening, painting, and poetry to offset the sympathetic reactions of the mind that lead to PTSD. We wanted access to the modern versions of these systems and found professional artists to show us the way. These incredible people became co-founders and co-owners of both SMDF and Blue8. Through cross-training multiple practices and cooperative mindshare we activated a growing creative community made up of actors, writers, directors, dancers, yogis, military veterans, traceurs, and martial artists. Weaving all of these trainings into one collaborative practice was made possible by the talent and leadership of Blue8 CEO, Caitlin Geier. Caitlin’s initiative and positive attitude has allowed both SMDF and Blue8 to overcome challenges and expand with grace and poise. She is responsible for building our most successful programs and creating an environment whereby hundreds of at risk youth and military veterans have been scholarshipped. This enabled these students to participate in transformational experiences that could not have been otherwise obtained. Her dedication to Seamus’s mission, creative prowess and innovative capabilities have formed the pillars of our organizations.
Veterans Initiative:
Our training raises the spirit. To be emboldened in the face of fear, to feel powerful in your own abilities, and experience absolute trust in those you stand with is a rare experience that is hard to find in our culture. It is a gift worth giving to those that have never felt it and healing medicine to those that have been separated from it.
FREE VETERAN Workshops and Classes
Blue8 teachers are committed to offering FREE classes and Workshops to the Veteran Community as well as discounted classes for Veteran Families. We work in cooperation with SMDF and other veteran charities to raise awareness, create interest, and take requests for special workshops and new programming. Any veteran looking to participate in classes or workshops simply needs to show up with their Veteran ID card or other proof of service.
Fund Raising Events:
Blue8 and SMDF hold events and specialty workshops geared toward raising money for veteran and youth initiatives. From our Haunted Halloween Obstacle-course event, to our Fast-Rope workshop, Blue8 employs exciting experiences that foster team-work, self-confidence, and just good fun to bring the community together, raise awareness and much needed funding to those who have served our country.