FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LANCE BASS SUPPORTS
NATIONWIDE SKYDIVE EVENT BY JOINING HUNDREDS IN A TWO-MILE HIGH
STAND AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT
Attorney General Ashcroft
Lauds Event That Raises Funds To Help Victims
(WASHINGTON, DC, March
29, 2004) - Music sensation Lance Bass from *NSYNC joins hundreds
of people nationwide to participate in the April 24, 2004 Operation
Freefall, a national skydiving event created to raise awareness
about sexual assault and the impact it has on people’s
lives. RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) and
SOAR (Speaking Out About Rape), organizers of the annual event,
announced today that they have selected 37 drop zones to culminate
the first annual National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention
Month.
Kellie Greene, SOAR
founder and RAINN advisory board member says, "Some people
take a stand for what they believe in…Operation Freefall
participants are willing to take a flying leap!"
Funds raised will help
maintain and expand the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1.800.656.HOPE),
operated by RAINN; will help to extend efforts to provide prevention
and recovery information to millions of Americans; expand SOAR’s
programs to educate lawmakers, police officers, students and
the media about sexual assault; and help continue efforts to
clear the backlog of untested DNA evidence from an estimated
350,000 rape crime scenes.
Attorney General John
Ashcroft, with whom Greene introduced the President’s $1
billion "Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Initiative" in
2003, lauds the event and Kellie’s efforts. Ashcroft says "Operation
Freefall is a triumph of the spirit. It stands as a testament
to the remarkable courage of Kellie Greene and rape survivors
and their supporters throughout the country." Ashcroft continues "President
Bush and the Department of Justice are firmly committed to bringing
justice to those who have suffered the pain of rape. By using
DNA technology and tough enforcement to get rapists off our streets
and out of our neighborhoods, we will spare untold others that
anguish in the future."
Operation Freefall
was created by Greene four years ago, who began skydiving each
year on the anniversary of her rape to reclaim the day that had
been taken from her. By reviving her own courageous spirit and
turning what had been a dreaded memorial into an anticipated
celebration, Kellie has recovered from her resulting development
of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the rape.
Studies show that PTSD
is more prevalent than diabetes or asthma and that more than
50 percent of adults in the US will experience one major trauma
in their lifetime, putting them at risk to develop PTSD. It’s
also estimated that 49 percent of rape survivors develop PTSD
as a result of their traumatic experience.
Supporters can help raise funds in a variety of ways both on and off the
ground.
1. Register to skydive
at www.operationfreefall.com.
2. Make a pledge to support Greene, one of a number of celebrity skydivers
or a friend at www.operationfreefall.com.
3. Make a purchase online from Jean Jewel at www.jeanjewel.com between April
14 and May 14 utilizing the promotional code: FREEFALL, to receive a 10%
discount. Operation Freefall will receive 40% of that revenue.
Pfizer Inc is the title
sponsor for Operation Freefall and Jean Jewel is a national partner
for the event.
ABOUT RAINN
RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization, operating
the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and carries out
programs to prevent sexual assault, help victims and ensure that rapists
are brought to justice. RAINN was recently selected as one of "America’s
100 Best Charities" by Worth Magazine. Additional information is
available at www.rainn.org.
ABOUT SOAR
SOAR is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating society about the "truth" of
rape, ensuring the protection of victim's rights, making certain the medical
and judicial systems are victim friendly and helping survivors find their
voices to unlock the silence. SOAR's main goal is to communicate to others
the tremendous impact that the crime of rape has on our society. Additional
information is available at www.soar99.org.
For additional information
about Operation Freefall, please visit www.operationfreefall.com
or call 1-800-656-4673, ext. 3.
# # #
CONTACT:
Tom Kujawski, RAINN, Operation Freefall Coordinator, 202-544-7372
Maurissa Bornstein, Chandler Chicco Agency, 212-229-8481
