Jumpers combat sexual abuse
By Kelly McGaw
News Editor
A group of seven University students will jump out of a plane tomorrow in a stand against sexual assault. The jump is held across the country in an annual event called Operation Freefall, a fundraiser for sexual assault awareness.
Operation Freefall was started in 2001 by sexual assault survivor Kellie Greene. Greene wanted to reclaim April 25, the day of her assault, and turn it into a day of fun and awareness. Greene is also the founder of the organization Speaking Out About Rape (SOAR).
“Since sexual assault is a crime of power and control, literally robbing a survivor of her autonomy, there is something really powerful about putting the choice back into the survivor’s hands,” said Chrissy Friedlander ’09, co-president of 1 in 4, the University’s sexual assault awareness group and sponsor of Operation Freefall.
Mallory Shear-Heyman ’06 brought Operation Freefall to campus in 2005 when she was president of 1 in 4. In its first year, two University students made the jump. The following year, 30 University students participated and raised more than $20,000. In 2008, 12 students jumped and raised more than $8,000.
In order to jump, participants must raise at least $600 each.
Samantha Soller ’09 will jump Saturday and has raised nearly $1,200 by gathering contributions from friends and family. They were willing to donate because it’s a good cause, and it allows her to have a thrilling life experience, she said.
This year, Stacey Toothman ’09 and Chris Stonesifer ’09 are the Operation Freefall coordinators. In order to raise money for the jumpers, they held raffles and an a capella concert, Friedlander said.
Toothman is unable to jump this year, but Stonesifer will.
Two students unavailable to jump Saturday will jump next week, Stonesifer said.
The group will not know until the jump how much money they’ve made, but five-sixths of it will go to SOAR and the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN). The remaining money will go to Susquehanna Valley Women in Transition (SVWIT), a local women’s shelter for domestic violence victims.
Dennis Tirri ’10 will also skydive Saturday. When he found out there were 248,300 victims of sexual assault in 2007, according to RAINN, he felt compelled to make a contribution.
Additionally, 60 percent of sexual assaults go unreported, he said.
Kayla Quinn ’11 missed the Operation Freefall deadline last year and was determined to get involved this year.
“Sexual assault isn’t something that gets as much attention. I wanted to help give the movement to fight sexual assault some more support,” she said.
Quinn and Soller are both excited about Saturday’s jump, which will take place at Chambersburg Skydive Center, roughly two hours from campus.
“I’ve honestly wanted to skydive for a really long time, and Operation Freefall and its cause gave me the push to get it together and do it,” Quinn said.
Soller anticipates some nervousness.
“I’m not nervous yet. I’ll probably start to get butterflies on the ride there,” she said.
