Summit for Heroes
Nationwide Summit for Heroes to Honor Fallen Officers During National Police Memorial Week
FARMINGTON, N.M. - March 28, 2006 - Expedition teams of law enforcement officers will climb the highest peaks in their states on May 20 as they participate in the Summit for Heroes and honor law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
Cops on Top and Horace Small® are organizing and sponsoring the Summit for Heroes, which will include climbing expeditions to Mount McKinley in Alaska, Mount Whitney in California, Mount Rainier in Washington, Mount Marcy in New York and more than 40 peaks in between. The climbs will take place during National Police Week, May 14-20, and expedition teams are expected to summit on May 20. Family, friends and law enforcement organizations nominate the fallen officers on whose behalf the Cops on Top teams climb.
"As a participant, and sometimes as an expedition leader, I have been with Cops on Top climbers on the summits of mountains throughout North America and the world," said Sergeant Keith McPheeters, founder of Cops on Top, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty. "Yet, it is the touching and heartfelt letters and calls from the families and friends of the fallen officers for whom we are climbing that make these expeditions so special to us. The summit attempts on several expeditions were under particularly grueling and brutal conditions, but those struggles pale compared to the difficulties faced every day by the surviving family members of our fallen comrades. I am honored and privileged to climb on their behalf."
The Summit for Heroes is funded by Horace Small®, a maker of premium law enforcement and public safety uniforms and a division of VF Imagewear, Inc. During May, Horace Small® also will match donations up to $20,000 made to Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), a nonprofit organization that assists families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
"We are humbled by this opportunity to be a part of something that is so special," said Janet Rives, Marketing Manager for VF Imagewear. "Law enforcement officers put their lives in danger every time they put on their uniforms, and the sacrifices they make enable us to live better lives. We are proud to sponsor the Summit for Heroes that ensures their sacrifice will never be forgotten."
Cops on Top expedition teams made multiple, simultaneous climbs in 2002, 2003 and 2004 to high points around the United States to memorialize fire and police personnel who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. In 2005, Cops on Top teams climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in the Russian Federation and Mount McKinley in Denali National Park, Alaska.
About Cops on Top
Cops on Top is a non-profit organization headquartered in Farmington, N.M. that is dedicated to honoring law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Cops on Top was founded in 1998 by Sergeant Keith McPheeters of the Farmington, N.M. Police Department after working on a special task force searching for the killers of Dale Claxton, a Cortez, Colo. police officer. Cops on Top seeks to raise public awareness to the dangers, stress and life-altering effects law enforcement officers face everyday in their jobs. Through its mission, Cops on Top hopes to aid in the grieving and healing process for family members who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.
About Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS)
Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty as determined by Federal criteria. Furthermore, COPS provides training to law enforcement agencies on survivor victimization issues and educates the public of the need to support the law enforcement profession and its survivors.
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About Horace Small®
Outfitting law enforcement and public safety heroes for more than 65 years, the Horace Small® brand combines groundbreaking technical design, innovative fabrics, practical features, comfort, durability and professional appearance.
About VF Imagewear
VF Imagewear is a subsidiary of VF Corporation (NYSE:VFC), with two primary businesses: Image and Activewear. The Image apparel business provides a broad array of uniforms and protective apparel to corporate customers, government and public safety agencies, service businesses and industrial laundries. The Activewear business markets branded apparel under agreements with licensors such as the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL), the NCAA, leading Colleges under the ESPN College Game Day brands, NASCAR and Harley-Davidson.
VF Corporation is a leader in branded lifestyle apparel including jeanswear, outdoor products, intimate apparel, image apparel and sportswear. Its principal brands include Wrangler®, Lee®, Riders®, Rustler®, Vans®, Reef®, Napapijri®, Kipling®, Nautica®, John Varvatos®, JanSport®, Eastpak®, Vassarette®, Bestform®, Lily of France®, Lee Sport® and Red Kap®.
