An Extreme Opportunity to Help Others

Rappelling North Carolina Landmarks for Special Olympics

CHARLOTTE, NC and RALEIGH, NC – A limited number of adventure seekers will have bucket list opportunities to rappel two high-rise landmarks in North Carolina’s largest cities–all for Special Olympics.

Over the Edge, a fundraiser for Special Olympics North Carolina will provide high-flyers an extreme descent from the pinnacle of Wells Fargo’s 30-story Capitol Center in downtown Raleigh, on October 2-3.

Skyline views and rappelling adventures will carry on in the Queen City’s Uptown district on Saturday, November 14, atop the 18-story Hyatt House Charlotte Center City.

No climbing or rappelling experience is required. The Over the Edge rappelling team includes rope access experts and veteran adventure professionals. Participants must weigh between 110 and 300 pounds and be at least 14 years of age (14-17 year-olds require signed consent).

“Over the Edge will accommodate an estimated 300 people in 2015,” says Megan O’Donnell, VP of Communications. “We expect about 200 in Raleigh and 100 in Charlotte, with each person raising a minimum of $1,000 from family, friends, customers, co-workers, or companies. Some employees raise the money to send the boss Over the Edge.”

Registration for Over the Edge is now open with prime-time slots selected by the quickest fundraisers. A few of the early signers include employees of North Carolina’s Highway Patrol, Cumberland County’s Sheriff’s Office, and Sport Clips Haircuts, picking up three slots in each city for thrill-seeking customers.

The top fund-raiser in 2014, Café Carolina & Bakery, raised over $30,000 with A Sweet Way to Help campaign. The Café employs Special Olympics athletes in each Triangle location and is repeating the campaign in 2015. The in-store promotion continues through October 3, enabling customers to purchase oversized, fresh baked cookies for one dollar.

Over the Edge funds will benefit Special Olympics North Carolina programs offering year-round sports training and competition for nearly 40,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Athletes train and compete on local and state levels in 19 sports, providing motivation, building self-esteem, and creating opportunities for success.

Spectrum Properties and Hyatt House contributed the use of the iconic buildings in Raleigh and Charlotte to benefit Special Olympics.