William Thomas, of McLean, Virginia, loves to shoot baskets. Like most young boys from Virginia, he carries a soft spot for the SEALs, many of whom call the state as home, so it seemed rather fitting that he used one of the things that he loved to raise funds in the name of some of the most admirable men in the country.

The 12-year-old asked people to pledge a small amount, even as small as a penny or two, for every basket that he made. His goal was to raise at least $1,000 for the families of the 17 Navy SEALs who lost their lives when their Chinook helicopter crashed in Afghanistan on August 6th.

Will shared: “Shooting baskets is something I love to do. The fact that I can do it and help the families of the Navy SEALs is great.” His father, Bill, supported the boy’s endeavor by counting every basket that goes in, through the use of a clicker. Misses didn’t count, but there were but a few of those.

Bill Thomas made a book with the stories, and accompanying photos, of the 17 SEALs who were killed in the tragedy, to remind Will about who he was shooting all those baskets for. The elder Thomas shared: “The people who died, they’re highly skilled from this elite force. It gets your attention.”

Will hit his goal of 17,000 baskets at around 1:00 pm on Labor Day, but decided to keep going for a few more baskets, as some donors indicated that they would double their pledges if he went over his goal. All told, Will spent three days shooting baskets for the families of fallen SEALs.

The proceeds of Will’s efforts will be donated to the Navy SEAL Foundation, for distribution to the recipient families.