20819 S. Western Ave. Torrance, CA 90501
The Celebration of
10 Years of Progress!
Operation Progress has entered a Four–Man Relay Team in the Longest Transcontinental Bicycle Race
Kristina Ripatti, Former LAPD Officer Shot and Paralyzed In-The-Line-Of-Duty Will Captain 2010 RAAM Effort.
Redondo Beach, CA: Operation Progress, a 501c-3 public charity, helping good kids get out of bad places through education, will celebrate its 10th year of service by entering a
four – man relay team in the 2010 Race Across America (RAAM), the nations longest running transcontinental bicycle race. Kristina Ripatti, a former LAPD officer shot and paralyzed in-the-line-of-duty will captain the RAAM effort on a hand-cycle.
“I was working patrol for the Southwest Division of the LAPD at the time of my shooting,” said Ripatti. “I had seen firsthand the hopelessness good kids felt who were trapped in these gang infested neighborhoods and the tremendous impact education could have on helping these same good kids get out of these very bad places so they could go on to lead successful and productive lives. During my recovery, I pledged my support to help Operation Progress. RAAM is the perfect platform for the organization to take its message nationally and encourage more local law enforcement agencies to follow our model.”
Three other able-bodied cyclists will join Kristina on Team: Operation Progress, (Nancy
Guth, Russ Loomis and Mark Burson) on their 3,000 mile, round- the-clock trek that will
take them through 14 states and up the equivalent of three Mt. Everests. Starting in
Oceanside, CA on June 12, the Team intends to finish 216 hours later in Annapolis, MD.
“Our Race goal is to raise awareness for the good works of Operation Progress,” said LAPD Officer Johnny Coughlin, the founder of Operation Progress. “But knowing Kristina’s competitive nature, I am sure she wants to win.” To be an official finisher, teams need to complete the race in less than 216 hour or nine days.
In addition to the four cyclists, Team: Operation Progress will be supported by four vehicles and a crew of 13.
The team is seeking:
• Support crew members • Donations for the race effort • Supplies and equipment
For more information on how to participate and support the Race effort:
Please contact Mark Burson at mark.burson@bm.com or call 805/390-1767.
Donations can be made to:
Operation Progress www.OperationProgress.org.
Statement of Purpose
Founded in 2000, Operation Progress is a non-profit public charity that provides college
scholarships to deserving students who live in neighborhoods where gang violence is the
norm and the pursuit of an education an unreachable goal. Through the efforts of two
uniformed Los Angeles Police Department officers assigned to the Southeast Division Gang Unit, good kids once trapped in a web of despair and hopelessness, now have a pathway to a brighter future through higher education. Over 35 students from some of the toughest areas in Los Angeles have benefited from the good works of Operation Progress and gone on to lead successful and productive lives. Though few in number these brave students demonstrate the power of hope and opportunity to bring real change to the most desperate of situations. We are all affected by gang violence. Operation Progress’s efforts to bring hope and opportunity through education to gang infested communities may be the solution that helps break the cycle of gang violence in LA and other cities inflicted by this insidious scourge.
33-0975838 501(c)(3)
We need your help getting
to the starting line!
Support
TEAM/ OPERATION PROGRESS
2010 RAAM
RACE EFFORT
