NPDF Mission in Rome

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We are very proud to announce the NPDF Delegation trip to Rome, Italy, which included a private audience with Pope Benedict on September 5, 2007, was a huge success.

The NPDF Delegation consisted of NPDF President Jack Holder, NPDF Executive Director Joseph Occhipinti, Office Administrator Angela Occhipinti, NPDF Delegate’s Drew Madzin, George Greco and their spouses. Also present was Yolanda Barry, the wife of the NPDF Secretary and Noel Schwartz, a retired businessman who has expressed interest in becoming a benefactor for the Operation Kids program. 

The primary goal of this Operation Kids mission to Rome included having Pope Benedict XVI bless the donated wheelchair for 9 year old Allessio Cirelli, which was donated by NPDF Associate Member Mark Goldstein. It also permitted the NPDF delegation to have a private audience with His Holiness and present him with a NPDF Special Achievement Award in recognition of his efforts in helping sick children worldwide. 

In addition, the NPDF succeeded in accomplishing the following objectives, which further demonstrates the success of this Operation Kids detail to Rome.

1. The NPDF Delegation transported Allessio Cirelli and his family back to New York, where he will undergo medical treatment at Beth Israel Medical Center on September 10, 2007.
   
   
2. The NPDF Delegation had a private tour of the “Boys Club of Italy” which cares for orphan boys and would be a good cause for Operation Kids to support in the future. 
   
   
3. The NPDF Delegation included a meeting in Rome between NPDF Delegate Liu Wei of China and NPDF Delegate Sergio Cirelli of Italy.  The meeting of these two key police officials will promote police interagency cooperation and NPDF membership recruitment in these two countries.
   
   
4. The NPDF Delegation met with a delegation of high ranking police officials from Germany who expressed interest in NPDF membership and attending the 2008 NPDF Annual Awards Dinner.
   
   
5. The NPDF Delegation met with rank and file law enforcement officers from the Vatican and Italian State Police agencies in an effort to promote NPDF membership and liaison.
   
   

We are delighted by the overall success of this NPDF mission to Rome, Italy, which has proven to be historical to the National Police Defense Foundation and demonstrates our commitment to the Operation Kids program. We know of no other line organization that has been successful in receiving a private audience with the Pope, which enabled the Pontiff to bless the wheelchair of a police officer’s son, who is handicapped.