Looking down from the roof of the 30-storey Sutton Place Hotel in downtown Edmonton yesterday morning, the sky was cloudy, the wind was blowing and the pedestrians looked like ants.
Local man Brent Korobanik stood backward on the ledge of that hotel and with safety gear completely tested and intact, hands firmly on the rappel ropes, he tipped himself backward over a whole lot of open air and started walking down.
He said that he’s pretty familiar with indoor climbing walls but this time, it was for the greater good. His stint in the so-called Drop Zone was put on by Easter Seals in one of its major annual fundraising efforts. The 35-year-old is one out of about 80 people who signed up for this once in a lifetime thrill but only if they could get at least $1,500 first. No problem, he said.
“[It went] surprisingly really well. I haven’t put a whole lot of effort into it. A lot of people have just stepped up. I’m not sure if it’s the idea … they want to see me drop off a building or if it’s the Easter Seals.”
He wasn’t even daunted at standing on the precipice.
“I’m not hugely afraid of heights or anything,” he said, “I’ve been skydiving once.”
He admitted that he got involved because a friend of his told him that she had already signed up. “She was more keen on it than I was initially.”
That friend, Kristen Kos, has an interest in helping people with mobility issues but she was mostly in it for the thrill.
“I have always loved heights and I thought it was a really cool thing to do. It was for a really good cause so I thought, ‘Why not?’”
She dressed as Batman’s sidekick Robin to go along with the event’s theme of being a superhero for a day. Korobanik, on the other rope, went as Spiderman while others were dressed up as more human heroes like Terry Fox.
The chief executive officer of the provincial branch of the organization praised all participants for their enthusiasm for public service in the face of danger and duress.
“It’s Edmonton’s turn to take the challenge and highlight its adventurous spirit and commitment to helping those in need,” said Susan Law. “Our participants are definitely going out of their comfort zones to courageously perform this daunting challenge, all for a great cause.”
Easter Seals says that 100 per cent of the funds raised for the Drop Zone will go to support children and adults with disabilities and special needs in Alberta through equipment, recreational and residential programs. Every year more than 100,000 Canadians and their families access programs and services through the organization.
For more information, call 780-429-0137 or visit www.thedropzone.ca.
