On April 25, 2009, I'll be participating in the nation's boldest, highest-altitude, and most daring effort to put an end to sexual assault.  It's called Operation Freefall: The Two-Mile High Stand Against Sexual Assault.  I'll be joining thousands of people at skydive centers across the country who will take to the sky and jump, to raise awareness and money for sexual assault.  I'll be making my 4th tandem skydive with a United States Parachute Association licensed tandem master.

By participating in Operation Freefall, I'll be raising funds for Speaking Out About Rape (SOAR) to help:

• Extend efforts to provide prevention, recovery, and prosecution information to tens of millions of people, including your community, each year.
• Expand SOAR’s programs to educate lawmakers, police officers, students and the media about sexual assault.  (And I just happen to be a member of SOAR's outreach group, Team SOAR.)
• Enhance SOAR’s programs to empower survivors of sexual violence.
• Enhance local services for survivors of sexual violence.

I’ve agreed to raise at least $600 before April 10, and I need your help. Would you consider making a tax-deductible pledge to help me meet my goal? You can make a secure pledge through this page. 

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 under-reported of all crimes in the United States.  One in six women and one in 33 men have experienced sexual assault.  Sexual violence affect all of us.  That is why I’ve committed myself to this event.

I hope you'll share in this incredible adventure by supporting my fundraising efforts.  If you would prefer to make a donation by check (made payable to Operation Freefall), please contact me at tjwesson@yahoo.com for a pledge form and the mailing address. 

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support!

And, of course, if you want to jump, too, check out www.operationfreefall.com!

Blue Skies,
Shannon