Jump/Fly/Be Different! Festival

MONROE, GA — Bill Scott believes that sometimes you have to fall in order to help someone else get up.

Of course, not many people take that idea as literally as Scott does. The owner of Skydive Monroe, Scott has been helping people fall out of airplanes for years. But four years ago the veteran businessman and skydiver helped make those plummets to the earth part of a worthy cause.

Extra Special People, an organization out of Watkinsville, Georgia, approached Scott about a unique fundraising idea: provide discount tandem jumps for their fundraising partners. Scott thought the idea was brilliant. The result was the Jump/Fly/Be Different! Festival.

“I thought it was a great idea to help raise money for them, and it’s a been a great success,” Scott says. “Last year, we took former UGA coach Vince Dooley on a tandem jump, along with his son and grandson. People really seem to like the idea, so it’s been fantastic.”

Founded in 1986 by Martha Wylie, ESP is committed to helping children with disabilities not just survive, but thrive. Their mission is to “empower children with developmental disabilities to cultivate skills, self-confidence and relationships through recreational therapy, community involvement and the arts.” In 2004, Wylie passed away, and Laurie Whitaker—then a junior in college—stepped up to keep the organization running. Whitaker was able to raise enough funds to keep ESP open and serving families in the Athens/Watkinsville area, but as the vision for ESP has expanded, the need for funds has too. That’s where Skydive Monroe comes in.

“Laurie came to me one day with the idea,” Scott says, “ and I just said, ‘Let’s do this!’” The idea is as straightforward as it sounds: individuals sign up via the ESP website and pledge to raise a minimum of $600. Once a person reaches their fundraising goal, they become eligible for a discounted tandem jump with Skydive Monroe, as well as a video of their flight to the ground. So far, over 40 jumpers have signed on for the annual event, and several have met or are close to meeting their goal. The money goes towards ESP’s year-round care programs and summer camps. Folks who fail to reach their fundraising goal are still welcome to take a ride in the plane and watch their friends take the plunge.

Skydive Monroe’s highly-trained staff will assist the jumpers, some of whom are veterans by now. As Scott says, the Jump/Fly/Be Different! fun can be addicting.

“One of the people at ESP, whose son has Down Syndrome, came and jumped one year. Now, she’s one of my most experienced jumpers and helps do videos. It’s the kind of neat story that comes out of these kind of things.”

This year’s Jump/Fly/Be Different! Festival is scheduled for April 26th. Planes will take skydivers up all day, as friends, family, and supporters cheer the jumpers on. Folks will dress as superheroes and interact with the kids and their families, and the public is welcome to come and watch. Over 200 people came to watch last year’s event, and some brave souls even wanted to get in on the action. Scott says that anyone who shows up and wants to jump will have a portion of their jump cost donated towards ESP. Last year’s festival raised over $44,000.

Registration for jumpers is still open via the ESP website. If people aren’t keen on the idea of jumping out of a plane, then they can make a contribution towards helping one or more of the jumpers already involved by clicking on their picture. This year’s jumpers include some UGA athletes and some ESP beneficiaries themselves. All donations are tax-deductible, as ESP is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.

 For more information on the Jump/Fly/Be Different! Festival, or to learn more about skydiving in general, please visit our website at http://skydivemonroe.com or call us at 770-207-1122

Distribution Courtesy of Freskos Media