On April 25th, I will be jumping out of a perfectly good airplane to raise money for SOAR and RAINN, two rather wonderful organizations dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual assault.
Operation Freefall is a radical fundraising effort that happens simultaneously in varied cities across the US on the last Saturday of every April. In the past eight years, Operation Freefall has raised over $1,000,000 with nearly two-thirds of that going back to local community organizations.
So. Radical = win.
Why am I doing this?
Most personally, I was date raped when I was 16. As a result, I literally lost about a year out of my life. I have a remarkably good memory, and I can remember very little about my senior year of high school. Most of what I *can* remember, I wish I could forget. I turned 17, I graduated, and I pretty much ran away from home all within a week...I fled to Philadelphia, to my mother's arms. And it took a few more years before I was really able to get a grip on all the after-effects of that rape.
To quote the Operation Freefall website:
"The FBI categorizes rape as the second most violent crime a person can experience, second only to murder. To put it another way, it’s the most violent and traumatic crime any victim lives to remember.. Every two minutes, another American is sexually assaulted. It is the most underreported of all crimes in the United States. The effects of sexual violence affect all of us."
I am jumping out of a perfectly good plane in part because I want to do something radical for the child I once was. I am alive. I am alive despite my conviction for years that I shouldn't be, that rape doesn't happen to smart girls.
Also, I made a promise to my sweetheart two years ago that I would do this. :)
So.
I need to raise $1000 by April 1st.
Please consider sponsoring me.
And thank you so much!
ETA: I'm raising my goal amount to $1000, based on the amazing support I've received thus far. $600 is the minimum amount required by Operation Freefall, but I see no reason to aim a little higher.