By Sara Page, Midlothian Exchange
spage@midlothianexchange.com

Twenty people climbed to the top of one of Peak Experiences’ tallest climbing walls – then jumped off last Thursday.

It was not a moment of insanity or a feeling of kinship with a lemming. It was an event to help promote the second Over the Edge event to be held in Richmond as a fundraiser for Special Olympics on Oct. 22-23.

For the second year in a row, participants will raise $1,000 for the privilege of rappelling some 400 feet over the edge of the SunTrust Financial building downtown. Companies can sign up to raise $3,000 to toss their boss. Special Olympics organizers hope to rope in 75 participants for this year’s event.

“We had 48 last year,” Special Olympics Virginia Senior Vice President Roy Zeidman said. “It’s all about trying to get people to understand the challenges that we face. If our athletes can overcome the challenge of an intellectual disability every day, can you overcome this challenge to help us? That’s kind of what we’ve been telling everybody.”

Thursday’s event helped participants get their feet wet as they climbed 20 feet to a platform on one of Peak Experience’s many walls where they unhooked from their climbing rope and hooked onto a rappelling rope for the fully supported slide back to the ground.

“I’ve rappelled before, but not for Over the Edge,” explained Russ Warnick, Chief Scientific Officer for Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc., in Richmond. “Four hundred feet is going to be exciting. I think there will be lots of adrenaline.”

Warnick explained that the event fit perfectly into his vision for the company, adding that his unofficial title is CPO – Chief Play Officer – and that he organizes at least one event each month for employees to go out and have fun. He says he’s getting the company in on the fundraising action.

“I made two pages – one for me to rappel with the rope and one for me to rappel without the rope. We’ll see which one raises more money,” he quipped.

For the second year in a row, Ashley Counts – a Special Olympics athlete - will also be going over the edge as a fundraising participant.

“She’s already raised around $1,200 or $1,400,” Zeidman said.

New this year is virtual rappelling. Participants can sign up and raise the money without jumping off the building.

“It’s for people who are afraid of heights but not challenges,” Zeidman explained. “We want to include everybody. The idea is to get everybody in the community involved.”

The Over the Edge events – one in Richmond and one in Norfolk – join the list of extreme challenges issued by Special Olympics Virginia in their fundraising efforts. The group sponsors the Polar Bear Plunge in Virginia Beach each January for the coldest event, the Plane Pull for corporate teams at Dulles Airport each September for the heaviest event, and the Law Enforcement Torch Run each summer for the longest event.

“The coolest thing to me is we have one of our athlete’s who’s rappelling. She has stepped out of being a participant in our program to being an advocate and a leader. For the Polar Plunge, about the first 150 people in the water are athletes in our program who have raised money. They go out and do it; and they’re leading everybody by example, and that helps break down the barriers that we need to get rid of,” Zeidman said.

For those getting ready to plunge off a 400-foot building, the thought of where the money is going will help get them in the harness.

“I’ve never been afraid of heights or adventure, growing up, and this is a great cause,” said Joe Morrissey, a Virginia House of Delegates member and owner of a business that provides day support and housing for intellectually disabled people. Morrissey said he hopes to raise between $5,000 and $10,000.

“I’m looking forward to hurling myself off a building,” he joked.