Drop Zone participants raise funds while falling for thrills
Wes Attwood is always up for a thrill, so the idea of rappelling down the side of one of the largest buildings in Regina didn’t scare him at all.
“How many chances do you get to jump off the side of a tower downtown and rappel?” Attwood said smiling after rappelling down Hill Tower 2 on Saturday morning.
Attwood was one of the approximately 50 people to participate in the annual Easter Seals Drop Zone. The Drop Zone is a fundraiser for Camp Easter Seals through the Saskatchewan Abilities Council.
“Easter Seals is a camp where it’s completely barrier-free and children with varying abilities in Saskatchewan can go and experience camp like any other kid,” said Amy Weekes, community relations and events co-ordinator for the Regina branch of the Saskatchewan Abilities Council.
All people participating on Saturday had to raise $1,500 minimum to participate. Weekes said that one lady participating raised $9,000. The $1,500 number is based on how much it costs to send one child to Camp Easter Seal.
“It’s a very expensive camp, a lot of people of varying needs and different supervision and medication. As well the camp is entirely accessible, and those kind of updates and maintenance costs a lot of money,” Weekes said.
Attwood hadn’t raised all of his money as of Saturday, but he still has a few weeks to raise the last $500.
“People have been telling me to jump off a roof for years so I said now here’s your chance to put your money where your mouth is,” said Attwood, talking about how he convinced people to support him for the event.
Attwood had jumped off train bridges and done foam runs in the past but Drop Zone was a first for him. Everyone that participates has to attend training beforehand for safety reasons.
“I went to the training and they hooked you up into harnesses and you dropped maybe a 25-foot wall and that’s it. Then you come out here and they say, ‘OK, step over the side of the building,’” Attwood said.
The whole experience only took a few minutes, Attwood said. At one point he dropped about 40 to 45 feet in one shot. Attwood loves a good thrill. He lives in Rouleau and has been a member of the town’s volunteer fire department for the last three years. He participated in Drop Zone with one of his fellow firefighters.
“That’s a very different kind of adrenalin rush, too, but we’re volunteer firefighters in Rouleau so that gives you a whole different kind of adrenalin,” Attwood said.
He is always up to help a good cause and when he can get a thrill out it, it makes it even better. In the future Attwood would love to do Drop Zone or a similar thrillseeking event, saying, “the crazier the better.”