Valinda Mitchell is a skydiver, a mother of 4, and a lupus sufferer. In 2004 Valinda was hospitalized in a coma and almost died from a severe episode of lupus. The chemotherapy treatments for the lupus were debilitating, and barely saved her life. While recovering from this, Valinda, along with her husband John, and friends Bill and Lysa Adams, decided they wanted to start raising funds for research into better drug therapies for lupus, or possibly even a cure.  In 2004, there was very little research done for lupus.  Almost all the drug therapies used were borrowed from other diseases, such as cancer and MS.  So in 2005 they held a skydiving fund raiser called Leap For Lupus. They officially formed the Leap for Lupus Foundation in 2007 to continue raising funds through skydiving for lupus research. We are still looking for that cure that will help Valinda and millions of other lupus sufferers in their everyday fight against lupus.

Valinda Mitchell currently owns and operates Mitchell’s Embroidery which provides clothing and gear for the skydiving community as well as other local business.  Valinda Mitchell can be contacted by phone at 253-677-7483 or e-mail at our contact us page.

Lysa Adams was instrumental in getting the Leap for Lupus event started in 2005. A multi-lingual mother of two, she has been skydiving for over 14 years. She helped officially form the Leap for Lupus Foundation in 2007 to raise funds through skydiving which will be used to benefit research that is looking for a cure for Lupus.

Lysa Adams currently provides bookkeeping services for several entities.  Lysa’s duties in this capacity include but are not limited to keeping the books, creating income statements, balance sheets and statements of cash flows, invoicing customers and paying vendors.

  Bill Adams has been a skydiver for over 20 years and has over 3,000 skydives both in the military and in sport skydiving.  Bill helped form the Leap for Lupus Foundation in 2007 to raise funds through skydiving which will be used to benefit research that is looking for a cure for Lupus.

Bill Adams is currently serving on the board of Leap for Lupus Foundation in the role of Secretary.  Bill’s duties in this capacity include but are not limited to keeping a record of the proceedings of the entities, maintaining a list of members, sending notifications to members, reporting to the board the minutes of previous meetings as well as other and administrative duties.

John Mitchell, a skydiving jumpmaster and instructor with over 5,000 jumps and over 34 years experience as a leader in the skydiving community, assisted the effort to raise funds for the Leap for Lupus event in 2005. 

John Mitchell currently works weekends at Kapowsin Air Sports as a skydiving instructor, and for the FAA during the week.  John estimates that he has personally instructed over 2000 skydivers. John also aids Valinda with her Embroidery business by assisting with the books, provides marketing direction and assist in the sales force.