Special Announcements
Survivor Spotlight
SNVCOPS is very proud to spotlight one of our survivors, Michele Abbate, our current Vice President.
We support Michele in her determination to carry on the "Abbate Legacy".
Racing Forward: The Abbate Legacy on Track
Racing runs deep in the Abbate family. Michele Abbate is the younger sister of Sgt. Michael Abbate — a Nevada Highway Patrol Sergeant and accomplished racing driver whose end of watch was November 30, 2023. Inspired by her brother’s achievements, Michele followed in his footsteps as a teenager, turning admiration into action and carving out her own name in professional road racing. During the race held the weekend of December 5-7, 2025 at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, that legacy came full circle in spectacular fashion.
Round 4 of the Spring Mountain Sports Car Racing Series unfolded on the Charleston Peak North Track, where the GTM class delivered intense competition all weekend long. For Michele and the Grr Racing team, the event marked a highly anticipated return after a mechanical failure cut short a podium fight in November. Determined and refocused, the team came back swinging.
Michele wasted no time making her presence known. During practice, she shattered her personal best lap time — a hint of what was to come. That momentum carried straight into qualifying, where she set a new GTM class track record and secured P1 for Race 1. From the moment the green flag dropped, Abbate drove a clean, confident race in the GHOST Energy #30 GTM Miata, leading from start to finish and earning a hard-fought victory and valuable championship points.
“Today’s win was really huge for us,” Abbate shared. “It feels nice to get the monkey off my back and show what we’re capable of. I’m hoping to follow it up with another win tomorrow.”
She did exactly that.
Saturday morning brought another qualifying session — and another statement. Michele once again reset her personal best and claimed yet another new GTM track record on the North configuration. Despite feeling the pressure, her confidence remained high heading into Race 2.
When the green flag flew, Abbate launched cleanly and faced immediate pressure from second place. The battle highlighted the strengths of both cars and drivers, but Michele remained composed, even through a restart, leading every lap to capture her second consecutive win.
“This is the first time I’ve ever had a weekend sweep, and it feels incredible,” she said. “It was hard-fought, and I’m so excited to bring this win home for my team and sponsors. We’re making real progress, and it’s finally showing on paper. Let’s keep it going!”
With record-breaking pace, two dominant wins, and a perfect weekend sweep, Michele Abbate didn’t just return to the podium — she honored a family legacy while proving that her momentum — and her story — are only gaining speed.
Survivor Spotlight
SNVCOPS is very proud to spotlight one of our survivors, Alyssa Belle.
We support Alyssa in her role as Top Spokesmodel.
Spotlight: Top Spokesmodel
The Southern Nevada Chapter is proud to share that on June 7, 2025, Alyssa Belle, oldest daughter of fallen Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper, Alberto Felix (EOW 11/30/2023), represented the state of Nevada at the National American Miss Pageant in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Alyssa earned the Top Spokesmodel title and placed as a runner-up in four of the five competition categories.
We are incredibly proud of Alyssa and congratulate her on this outstanding achievement.
Reimbursement for Hands-On Programs
TO ALL SURVIVORS
The Board of Southern Nevada Concerns of Police Survivors (SNV C.O.P.S.) is pleased to announce that starting 4/9/2024, any survivor from Southern Nevada that attends a hands-on program sponsored by National C.O.P.S. will be reimbursed up to $300/survivor (as budget allows) for travel. This reimbursement will be provided after the survivor has attended the hands-on program. Each survivor attending a hands-on program will need to submit receipt(s) for this reimbursement.
National C.O.P.S. provides hands-on programs designed specifically for each survivor to help rebuild their shattered lives. These programs allow survivors to receive support from peers who know how they feel, attend seminar sessions specifically designed for their needs and obtain resources to help them on their journey of grief coping. The programs are held in a relaxed setting that is removed from the stress of everyday life. Once the survivor gets to the site (or pick-up point) for the hands-on program, it is free for the survivor to attend. The only cost to the survivor is their travel to and from the program. Now with SNV C.O.P.S. offering this reimbursement we hope to make sure every Southern Nevada Survivor can, and will attend one of these great programs.