MANs Legacy Lives Here: A Community's Promise to Raider Families
- Topsail Times
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
By: Moises E. and Stephanie Navas'
Major Moises “Mo” A. Navas, a Marine Raider and father of four, trained hard, laughed often, and made countless memories along the shores of Topsail Beach. It was here where he and I served together in the Marine Corps and shared many weekends exploring the area. Though he didn’t grow up in Coastal Carolina, it became a place of peace and brotherhood for him, a backdrop to the quiet moments that balanced the intensity of service. On March 8, 2020, Mo was killed in combat in Iraq. His loss was felt not just across the Raider community, but right here, in the coastal towns where he had once built a life between deployments.
Yet out of grief, a promise emerged. Together with my family, we launched MANs Legacy Foundation to honor his spirit, one not defined by loss, but by legacy. Based in the Topsail area, the foundation stands distinctly for Raider families and their children, seeking to uplift them through education, recreation, and arts, stewarding youth through hardship and transition.
Our mission is simple and powerful: honor legacy, empower Raider kids. We provide grants so youngsters can pursue dance, jiu jitsu, cheer, art classes; activities that build resilience, self-confidence, and purpose. Every dollar is a tribute to Mo’s belief that true courage is passed on, not inherited.
The impact? Take the sweet story of a Raider family whose children flourished under jiu jitsu training supported by our grants. Or the young dancer whose competition fees were covered, easing the burden on her military parent striving to hold their world together. For the MARSOC children who didn’t choose this life, and continue carrying its weight, this work matters. We chose to create something in his honor that endures: a community, a lifeline, a place where Raider kids aren’t overlooked.
But the deepest strength of MANs Legacy comes from partnerships: with Marine Raider leadership, community volunteers, and local businesses in Sneads Ferry, Surf City, Hampstead, and beyond. The Marine Raider community lives here, with families attending all city functions, enjoying its beaches and parks. MANs Legacy is a way for the community to gives back to those children who bear this unimaginable weight.
If you’re a restaurant owner in Surf City, a gym manager in Sneads Ferry, or a small business leader in Wilmington, we invite you to partner with us. Your sponsorship can directly fund a child’s opportunity to pursue a dream. Your support can show these families that they are not forgotten. In a region so defined by service, we have a chance, and a responsibility, to lead in how we care for those left behind.
Join us. Visit manslegacyfoundation.org to donate, sponsor, or partner. Let’s make this community the strongest legacy we leave behind.
