Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) has an exciting event to share our mission and raise money to support children through mentoring relationships. Over the Edge provides participants the thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime chance of rappelling down the 20-story Enterprise Tower in a completely safe environment. The second annual Over the Edge event will take place on Saturday, September 30. Participants register online and set up a donation page in order to reach their $1,000 fundraising minimum to rappel. BBBS staff will coach and encourage registrants along the way to reach their goal and new heights!
BBBS provides children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. As a donor-supported volunteer youth mentoring organization, our program has been placing caring adults in the lives of children in Abilene since 1978. Through the positive impact of those friendships, children with a Big Brother or Big Sister are more likely to graduate from high school and are less likely to begin using drugs, begin using alcohol or engage in negative conflict. All funds raised at Over the Edge stay in Abilene to support BBBS mentoring relationships.
Getting to rappel down the Enterprise building alongside my dad was such an amazing experience last year! I am very fortunate to have had my dad as a mentor throughout my life, so we both jumped at the opportunity to help raise money for other kids to have that same mentor relationship. Big Brothers Big Sisters Abilene is doing amazing things to mentor kids, and we can’t wait to raise more money and go down again this year!” – Jason Weltzin
Once the fundraising minimum is met, Over the Edge participants can lock in their rappel time. There will be two adjacent ropes going at the same time from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on September 30. Participants may choose to make their descent with a buddy for encouragement on the way down! Spectators are also welcome at the event. Chestnut Street will be blocked from South 5th to South 6th streets to allow for participants and spectators to gather and enjoy food trucks while cheering on the brave adventurers. All are welcome to come out and join in the excitement of this event!
Register as an individual, with a friend, as a team or “Toss Your Boss”! There are so many different ways to get involved with this event. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Take the plunge! Businesses can enter a team and employees fundraise together. The company may contribute whatever the team is short raising. Sponsor recognition is available if a company matches funds raised by its employees. To “Toss Your Boss”, businesses, organizations, schools, etc. fundraise to send their (willing) leader “over the edge.” The same $1,000 fundraising minimum per participant applies for all options.
A maximum number of 76 spots are available on rappel day and they are filling up fast! Register today at www.bbbstx.org/overtheedge to set up your donation page and begin fundraising. Use the discount code “abilenescene” to receive $25 off your registration fee when signing up. Share why you decided to get involved with this event and ask for support from your family and friends. You’ll be surprised how quickly you will achieve your goal! Social media makes it easy to share your donation page and reach out to a large group of friends and family quickly.
In 2016 and already this year, we have seen some unique motivations and creative ways of fundraising among participants. Last year, a mother-daughter duo harnessed up and stepped over the edge together. One of this year’s participants has chosen to fundraise for a loved one to give him the adrenaline-pumping experience for his birthday. In addition to requesting donations from friends and family, participants may choose to raise money toward their goal by planning their own fundraising events such as a bake sale, tournament or raffle.
Shout out from the rooftop to our awesome sponsors: Frontier Motor Company, Barr Residential Roofing Services and Inc., J. Leonard Tadvick, MD PLLC! A special thank you to LMB Real Estate Group for allowing us to use their building for this event once again. Their support truly makes this event possible and has a big impact on our organization.
For more information about participation or sponsorship, contact Mallory Wilcox at mwilcox@bbbstx.org or 325-674-3115. Like Big Brothers Big Sisters on Facebook (@BigBrothersBigSistersAbilene) and follow us on Instagram (@bbbsabilene) for event and agency updates. Watch for the hashtag #oteabilene2017!
Over The Edge is a special events company that provides signature events for non-profit organizations around the world. Business leaders, individuals and community members are invited to raise donations in exchange for the experience of going over the edge of a prominent building. This event generates front page news, raises thousands of dollars and provides participants with an extraordinary experience. Over The Edge is responsible for all technical aspects of the event including the insurance, professional staff and rappelling equipment.
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