Athlete registration will close for 23 sports on 31 May unless maximum registration numbers are reached in advance of that date. Those sports are Basketball 5x5, Billiards, Darts, Indoor Soccer, Outdoor Soccer, Honor Guard, Police Service Dogs, Table Tennis, Wrestling, Tennis, Tug of War, Muster, Boxing, Body Building, Ultimate Firefighter, Track and Field, Flag Football, Lacrosse, Paintball, Toughest Competitor Alive, Small Bore, Baseball, and Bowling. For bracketed team sports Team Captains can add members to rosters beyond closing dates as long as the mininum number of athletes required to compete has been reached.

Other Important Closing Dates: Angling (June 5), Large Bore Rifle (June 12), Dragon Boat (June 12), Martial Arts (June 15), Softball (June 19), Orienteering (June 19), Motocross (June 19), Mountain Bike (June 21), Cycling- Street (June 21), Street Motorcycle (June 25), Open Water (June 26), Air Rifle (June 26), Swimming (June 28), Cross Country (June 28), Dodgeball (June 29), Wrist Wrestling (June 30), Triathlon (July 1), Rowing (July 1), and Half Marathon (July 3)

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As one of the World Police & Fire Games’ Legacy Partners, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund plays an important role in supporting the international multi-sport event taking place in Fairfax County this June.

A nonprofit 501(c)3 organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Memorial Fund is dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve. Besides maintaining the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial located in the 400 block of E St., NW, the Memorial Fund is building the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum adjacent to the Memorial; is a principal organizer of National Police Week each May; organizes the Ride & Run to Remember in October; and serves as an information clearinghouse on line-of-duty officer deaths and fatality trends and issues.

The Memorial Fund is assisting with the planning and execution of the World Police & Fire Games’ Law Enforcement Memorial Service, which will take place at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on Tues., June 30 at 8 p.m. The service – to be followed by a reception at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge – will feature a candlelight vigil honoring law enforcement professionals who lost their lives in the line of duty. Additionally, the Memorial Fund will have booths at both the Athletes Village and Games Expo located at Reston Town Center

“We look forward to meeting and interacting with the many first responders who will be participating in the Games this summer,” said Steve Groeninger, senior director of communications and marketing at the Memorial Fund. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with public safety professionals from all over the world and educate them about the Memorial Fund and its activities.”

“We are grateful to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund for helping us make the first-ever Fairfax County-based World Police & Fire Games a truly meaningful and inspiring event,” said Bill Knight, Fairfax 2015 President and CEO.

The World Police & Fire Games will participated in Police Week from May 10-16 by manning the author’s table at the Memorial Fund’s National Police Week Retail Center located in the fellowship hall of First Trinity Lutheran Church at 309 E St., N.W. on Thurs., May 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and by having a booth at the “Tent City” exhibit area at 1880 2^nd Street SW, Washington, DC 20024. To learn more about Police Week, please visit: www.LawMemorial.org/policeweek/ 

Following a week long bracketing session in which Fairfax 2015 and World Police & Fire Games Federation officials met to determine the positioning of registered teams into various divisions, it was determined that registration would remain open for most sports beyond the originally scheduled April 30th deadline. The exceptions to this extension are Basketball 3 x 3, Rugby, Indoor Volleyball and Beach Volleyball which have been officially closed. Registration for four other sports, Badminton, CrossFit®, Golf and Ice Hockey, will be  closed as of May 15th. All other sports registration will close May 31st and beyond unless maximum registration numbers are reached in advance of those dates. Based on their current registration status, it is expected that Baseball, Lacrosse and Paintball will be the next sports to be closed out. A full listing of sports and their registration deadlines is as follows:

May 15th: Ice Hockey, Badminton, CrossFit®, and Golf.

May 31st: Basketball 5x5, Billiards, Darts, Indoor Soccer, Outdoor Soccer, Honor Guard, Police Service Dogs, Table Tennis, Wrestling, Tennis, Tug of War, Muster, Boxing, Body Building, Ultimate Firefighter, Track and Field, Flag Football, Lacrosse, Paintball, Toughest Competitor Alive, Small Bore, Baseball, Bowling

Other: Angling (June 5), Mountain Bike (June 21), Orienteering (June 19), Cycling- Street (June 21), Swimming (June 28), Open Water (June 26), Triathlon (July 1), Cross Country (June 28), Half Marathon (July 3), Motocross (June 19), Large Bore  (June 12), Street Motorcycle (June 25), Dodgeball (June 29), Wrist Wrestling (June 30), Softball (June 19), Air Rifle (June 26), Dragon Boat (June 12), Rowing (July 1), Martial Arts (June 15)

Team Captains can add members to rosters beyond closing dates as long as the mininum number of athletes required to compete has been reached. 

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At the 37th annual Valor Awards held in Chantilly Va. in March 2015, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce honored 98 public safety heroes who put their personal safety at risk to keep their communities and local businesses safe. Following an opening ceremony and remarks, Fairfax Chamber leaders presented medals and certificates – including the prestigious Gold Medal of Valor – to individuals from local police and fire departments, and sheriffs’ offices.

Through the Valor Scholarship Fund, children of past Valor Award recipients receive post-secondary educational scholarships. Although scholarships will not be available to the children of those who receive a Medal of Valor award after March 2015, the fund has helped support more than $250,000 worth of scholarships since its inception in 1998. 

Like other Legacy Partners for the Fairfax 2015 World Police & Fire Games, the Fairfax Chamber’s Valor Scholarship Fund will benefit from proceeds remaining after the Games. In return, the Fairfax Chamber has supported Fairfax 2015 with strategic communications and marketing assistance, helping promote and raise awareness about the international multi-sporting event. 

“This is truly a momentous occasion for Fairfax County,” said Jim Cochran, president and CEO of the Fairfax Chamber, and an honorary board member of Fairfax 2015. “We couldn’t be more honored to be a part of this event that will surely be remembered for years to come.”

“The Fairfax Chamber has played an instrumental role in helping build momentum for the World Police & Fire Games,” said Bill Knight, president and CEO of Fairfax 2015. “It is a privilege to return the favor by supporting such a worthy cause as the Valor Scholarship Fund benefiting the children of local heroes.”

Thomas A. Giannettino is someone who doesn’t give up easily. After 21 years in the Air Force and New York Air National Guard, he began a career with the New York State Police in 1999. Working as a uniform trooper at the beginning and later promoted to Investigator in 2007, his most proud moment was assisting in New York City after 9/11. He says “I am so humbled that I had the privilege of being a part of that time in history.”

While on duty in November of 2011, Tom was brutally assaulted and suffered a life changing injury to his shoulder, leaving him depressed and not sure where to turn. After numerous surgeries and much time spent rehabilitating his shoulder and arm, his range of motion remained severely impacted and with very little use of his arm. His doctor finally delivered the news that he should consider finding a different career and Tom retired in 2012.

He didn’t let that stop him, however, and giving up has never been an option. He started competing in triathlons in 2013 and to date has received top billing in multiple Northeast Region Paratriathlons, a Half Ironman, Sprint Distance events and more. The difficulty and discipline of the triathlon is what drew Tom’s attention and because he was required to learn to swim and bike with just one arm, the mental determination was also a way to allow him to heal both physically and mentally.

So far this season, Tom has raced in East London, South Africa and Sunshine Coast Australia. Tom said “I can definitely improve, but I’ve earned enough points so far to be world ranked and in the hunt to become a Paralympics’ hopeful for Rio in 2016.” Bravo, Tom! At the writing of this article, Tom is competing for the Paratriathlon Continental Championship in Monterrey, Mexico.

Citing his father as his role model, Tom credits many of his own traits and core values as being linked directly to the valuable lessons he learned from his father, a Marine during WWII. Any free time he has that is not dedicated to training, he spends with his family, and Tom also happens to be a movie buff. If you ask Tom what one thing most people don’t know about him, it’s that he loves rap music!

Tom isn’t just determined to improving his own health and the quality of his family relationships, he also gives back a considerable amount of time by volunteering for Operation Homeland Honor, an organization developed to help permanently injured first responders and veterans become active in sports and competition as a way to heal and become active again in life.  Additionally, he participates and volunteers with the Second Dare2Tri Paratriathlon Club. As a participant, he is a member of their elite athlete team but as a volunteer, he gives his time to assist with the kid’s camp and other various activities providing guidance and instruction of the sport of triathlon to physically challenged and visually impaired athletes.  If that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, he also volunteers with Team RWB and Code 9: Officer Needs Assistance, both of which were crucial in Tom’s own suffering and healing from Post Traumatic Stress.

During the Fairfax 2015 Games, Tom is looking forward to reconnecting with his Operation Homeland Honor teammates, who are scattered all over the country, but will be reuniting this Summer in Fairfax, Virginia!