Mayor Finley, other volunteers, to go “Over the Edge” today and tomorrow for Kids to Love
HUNTSVILLE – Madison Mayor Paul Finley is once again going over the edge. He will join dozens of others in rappelling 160 feet from atop the Regions Center in downtown Huntsville today and tomorrow. He has made the feat an annual contribution to helping a great non-profit organization based in Madison.
The event is a partnership between Kids to Love, a local nonprofit benefiting foster children, and Over the Edge, an “adventure experience” company that helps organizations like Kids to Love raise money to support their causes.
After watching Over the Edge fundraisers in other cities over the years, Kids to Love Founder and CEO Lee Marshall knew Huntsville would be a perfect fit for the thrilling fundraiser. She said 100 percent of the proceeds that rappellers raised will go straight to the foster children and programs that Kids to Love supports.
To help celebrate the rapellers achievements, Marshall said a street party, food trucks, and plenty of people cheering will greet them as they descend the side of the building. “It is open to the public. Bring the family for the fun!,” she said.
Mayor Finley will be going over the edge at 4:30 p.m. today.
“I’m a strong believer in Kids to Love—the multiple programs that they have and what they’re doing for our foster kids,” Finley said. “I’ve helped wrap gifts, I’ve helped with backpacks, watched them with their KTECH program, and in all instances, it’s making a major impact for a group of folks who strongly deserve it.”
KTECH is Kids to Love’s workforce initiative that helps young people who are aging out of foster care develop skill sets that they can use to go straight to the workforce.
At nearly 189 feet in total height, the Regions Center is one of the tallest buildings in Huntsville. Rappellers committed to raise at least $1,000 for Kids to Love in order to participate in the event. Companies also had to opportunity to sponsor teams of up to four people for a commitment of $5,000.
A former foster child herself, Marshall founded Kids to Love in 2004 to meet the needs of foster children in the Tennessee Valley. According to their website, Kids to Love has helped more than 200,000 foster children since the organization’s inception. The organization remains committed to helping as many foster children find “forever families” as they can. Marshall will rappel off the Regions Center on Saturday.
“I was adopted at a young age—born into foster care and adopted—so I could be any of the kids that we serve, but I was very lucky to be placed with a forever family early and adopted, so that’s one of the reasons why we work so hard,” Marshall said. “ … When I get to see the faces of the kids that we have a direct impact on every single day and knowing that we’re changing their lives, it’s all worth it.”
To learn more about Kids to Love and their programs, visit kidstolove.org. Their office is located at 140 Castle Drive in Madison.
Click here for the schedule for volunteers who will be rappelling off the Regions Center this weekend.
For more information, call 256-880-3455 or visit kidstolove.org or Facebook/Kids to Love.
