Charity Extreme

COPS 25th Anniversary Jump

2008-12-19T15:39:00.014-05:00

http://www.floridaskydiving.com/FloridaSkydivingCenter/PastEvents/2008COPS25thAnniversaryBoogie/tabid/138/Default.aspx click on the above link for tunes and some pictures.

On January 7th through the 11th 2009 Charity Extreme will again participate in an extreme fundraiser in Lake Wales, Florida for Concerns Of Police Survivors(C.O.P.S.). Officer Mike Connington of the Mahwah, NJ Police Department and PBA Local #143, will be one of the law enforcement officers from around the country attempting to complete a 25 way formation skydive to honor the 25th anniversary and raise awareness for C.O.P.S. Connington will be the only member from NJ law enforcement to participate in the event. Other jumpers from other law enforcement, federal, and government agencies will also make up the team of jumpers, as they attempt to pull off a successful 25 way formation in freefall. Each jumper agreed to raise at least $1000.00 to participate which will all be donated to C.O.P.S.

Concerns Of Police Survivors Inc. provides resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Each year, between 140 and 160 officers are killed in the line of duty and their families and co-workers are left to cope with the tragic loss. C.O.P.S. provides resources to help them rebuild their shattered lives.

In 2004 Connington was part of a successful 20 way formation skydive for C.O.P.S. for the 20th anniversary, which took jumpers from two airplanes 13 attempts to complete. It was also a record for the most law enforcement officers to dock in a skydive formation. That jump was completed in southern NJ at Freefall Adventures in Williamstown. Officer Greg Knott of the Montgomery County Police, Maryland, organized and coordinated both events and continually works with C.O.P.S. in raising awareness for their organization. These jumps mean a lot to all the jumpers involved, including some of them who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.

For more information and to donate to this event please follow either of the links below:

http://www.jumpforcops.com/

http://www.nationalcops.org/

http://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1068

http://www.mahwahpba143.com/

Thanks Again For All The Support!

Expedition 3000- Kjerag Exit Point 6

2007-08-24T13:43:00.001-05:00

http:// Look Close

Expedition 3000 Norway First Jump

2007-07-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

http://
To Donate to Homes For Our Troops:
http://www.homesforourtroops.org/goto/Expedition3000

After we arrived we checked in with the BASE club and the camping area to get our cabin. . We registered with the club after they verified our experience and gave us a brief on the area. We picked up different packing tips for a terminal jump, got instruction on the area, club policies, exit points, landing areas, and rescue operations.

We took a boat ride and got dropped off at the landing area to have a look around. Inspecting the landing area was mandatory and extremely important before anyone could jump. The landing area had huge boulders and the area was unforgiving. There were several locations to land and it was important that you made these areas because the terrain was dangerous. The other option would be to fly straight and land in the water and be picked up by the boat. Their is a saying in base jumping that states, "You Dry Faster Than You Heal". Although landing in the water can be dangerous as well. The parachute saturates and gets very heavy and it is very easy to get tangled in your lines and have the canopy come down over your head. Before jumpers exit, they are in radio contact with the boat operator who watches for any malfunctions or water landings, so he can expedite pick up or rescue operations. Every jumper gives either a ten or thirty second call, telling the boat operator what exit point they are jumping from and how many jumpers will exit at the same time on that particular jump.

Although it was not required the team decided to get trained on a rope system called the Pendulator which simulates body position when exiting the cliff. Body position is critical and it allows a jumper to exit stable and then streamline their body position to get away from the wall. With poor body position a jumper could go unstable and impact outcroppings of the cliff below them, which would most likely result in serious injury or death. A jumper could also minimize the distance they fly away from the wall which increases the possibility of a wall strike if the jumper has an off heading opening or has to deploy their parachute for any reason.

The next day we got up and caught the van ride up the cliff road to the drop off point. We then started the strenuous 3 mile hike which is practically straight up three hills. Once at the top the terrain is relatively flat. There a few stream crossings and fresh water is easy to find. We crossed two small glaciers and a few ravines hiking across the top. When the weather was clear the hike was enjoyable once at the top, but when it was bad the clouds rolled in which limited your visibility. You did not want to stray to far from the trail as you could walk off a 3000 foot cliff. After all, the object is to get the parachute on your back before that is done.

Then we arrived at the exit point of Kjerag, the cliff that we would be jumping from. It was time to gear up and jump. The moment we had been waiting for was finally here! Now, All we had to do was take one more step!

Expedition 3000 - Norway Arrival

2007-07-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

http://
The Charity Extreme Team departed Newark, NJ airport for our 8 hour flight overseas. We landed in Copenhagen Denmark and had to rush to make our connecting flight from Denmark to Stavanger Norway. We downsized planes and due to the quick departure, had a feeling that we would have baggage problems. Good thing the team all carried their parachutes as carry-on lugage, which is what most skydivers often do. We then left Denmark on a much smaller plane for the quick hour plus flight to Stavanger Norway. We arrived in Stavanger and were all excited that the expedition had finally began.

After arriving in Stavanger we got the news that our baggage did not make it. So we waited for the next flight to come in from Denmark. After checking the arriving baggage we only received two of the six bags we were missing. So we waited. And then waited some more.

Then after four more arriving flights and the night on the airport benches, we awoke to the remainder of our luggage. Now it was time to rush and try to make the high speed ferry.
The high speed ferry takes two hours from Stavanger to Lysebotn, but only travels twice a day. The tourist ferry takes over four hours and has several stops along the way. We made the high speed ferry and motored out of Stavanger.

As we headed away from the harbor in Stavanger we set our sights on the journey ahead.

The ferry ride alone was some of the nicest scenery we had ever seen. There were a few stops along the way to a few remote villages. The ferry would stop and roll on a full dumpster and roll off an empty for garbage collection. We also noticed people waiting for mail which the captain also delivered.

As we continued towards our destination the cliffs, mountains, and waterfalls seemed to get higher and higher. Lysebotn is located at the end of the forge and our anticipation was building as we knew we would be passing the base jumping exit points when we got close.

Then it appeared up ahead on the right side. The cliff called Kjerag. It was a shear faced that seemed to stand alone. Until now we all had only seen this in videos, and the view was powerful. Not many words were spoken as we all just took it in, and tried to focus on the challenge ahead. The thought of knowing that we would all be standing on the edge of this 3000 foot plus monster and leaping off, was surreal . This is what we had been waiting for and thinking about for years. We were finally here.

We looked at the landing area which was surrounded by large boulders and all wondered if we could fly our parachutes with the accuracy needed to make a safe landing.

We had arrived and it felt good. The long flight and the hold up at the airport seemed like distant memories. It was time to get adjusted, get some rest, and focus on the training to complete this expedition safely.

EXPEDITION 3000

2007-06-13T00:25:00.000-05:00

EXPEDITION 3000

Please help raise donations and awareness for Homes For Our Troops by supporting this extreme challenge. On July 16th,2007 Charity Extreme will travel to a remote area of Norway for an attempt to jump off some of the highest cliffs in the world. This will be performed by an extreme sport called BASE Jumping. Base is leaping from a fixed object with a parachute. One will stand on the edge of these cliffs, summon the courage, and then jump off. After a freefall along the cliffs face, a parachute will be depolyed. This is then followed by a canopy descent to the landing area below. Video and pictures will be captured by helmet,chest, and wrist mounted cameras. A daily report,video clips, and pictures will be uploaded to a follow along website called a blog. Visit the blog and feel free to post your comments and thoughts about this challenging experience. All donations will be raised for Homes For Our Troops. Follow along and watch just how far some will go to help our disabled veterans. Base jumping is extremely dangerous and should never be attempted by anyone without proper experience,training, and equipment. All donations can be made through Homes For Our Troops on line or through the mail. If one donates for this event please refer it to Expedition 3000. All donations will be given to the charity as the expedtion is already funded.Please help spread the word about Expedition 3000 as we want to get this information to as many Military-Veteran Hospitals and Rehabilitation Facilities as possible. I hope that Disabled Veterans everywhere can follow the blog and watch just how far we will go to raise donations and awareness for Homes For Our Troops.

To Donate online for Homes for Our Troops :

http://www.homesforourtroops.org/goto/Expedition3000

Homes For Our Troops Website for other events and information

http://www.homesforourtroops.org/

Thanks. Charity Extreme

EXPEDITION 3000 Training

2007-06-12T22:50:00.000-05:00

On June 10th 2007 members of The Charity Extreme Team traveled to Twin Falls Idaho to train for Expedition 3000 in Norway. Not far from Twin Falls is the Perrine Bridge which spans the Snake River 486 feet below. B.A.S.E. jumping is legal here all the time. If one stands in the center of the bridge and looks towards the east, they can see the dirt ramp that was constructed years ago for Evil Kenievil when he failed at trying to jump the canyon in a rocket vehicle. Team members practiced their skills by multiple gear checks, packing techniques, and by standing on the edge and exiting the bridge in stable body positions. The packing for each jump takes time and is very detailed. Jumping at low altitudes does not allow time for a reserve parachute, and most B.A.S.E. jumping parachute rigs are not equipped with reserve chutes. After team members landed at the bottom of the canyon, they could either hike the very steep canyon trail back up or pay for a boat ride down river then get a ride back to the top. This helped prepare the team members mentally and physically for Expedition 3000, which got its named for the height of the cliffs in Norway. In Idaho team members made a total of 8 jumps each, and did 5 climb-outs out of the canyon. All video was filmed by a helmet mounted camera. The Expedition 3000 training video was filmed to show our supporters just what we are trying to achieve in Norway. Please check out this video and help our Disabled Veterans by donating to the Expedition 3000 fundraiser which is supporting Homes for Our Troops. Charity Extreme would like to thank everyone who has donated and supported this event. Now onto Norway!
To donate online: http://www.homesforourtroops.org/goto/Expedition3000

C.U.F.F.S. Event 2006

2006-09-11T08:16:00.000-05:00

C.U.F.F.S. Event 2006

On September 9, 2006 The Policemen’s Benevolent Association local 362 held the 1st Cops United Free Falling Spectacular (C.U.F.F.S.) charity skydiving event. During this event we invited the public to come and make a tandem skydive with your local police and public safety personnel all to raise money for the Special Olympics. During last years C.U.F.F.S. event we raised $4,500.00 and completed an amazing 160 tandem Skydives. During the event people were entertained by a local radio station and enjoyed free Redbull complements of the Redbull Energy Team. Thank you to everyone who attended and see you next year on July 21, 2007.

COP DROP 2006

2006-05-20T01:17:00.000-05:00

On May 20th 2006 a unique event took place which consisted of law enforcement, veterans, and others making tandem skydives for charity. The event was called the Cop Drop. The charity chosen was the Leukemia Lymphoma Society(LLS). The event was a huge success and was able to raise and donate over $8500 for LLS.

www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/hm_lls

The event was created by Officer Mike Connington of the Mahwah, New Jersey Police Department, PBA Local #143. Several members of this PBA helped organize the event and many even made the jump.

www.mahwahpd.org

http://www.njspba.com/start.html

The event was also organized and supported by Skydive Sussex at Sussex Airport in Sussex, NJ.

http://www.skydivesussex.com/

Cop Drop 2006 consisted of over 130 people signing up to make a tandem skydive for charity, with a portion of each jump being donated to LLS. A tandem skydive is done by jumping from a plane at an altitude of at least 10,000 feet, while connected to a certified tandem skydiving instructor. For a lot of jumpers this was a first time and memorable experience.

Many jumpers, families, friends, and spectators attended and watched as this all day event unfolded. The event did have some delays, due to wind and cloud covering, but all in all it was a huge success. Safety of all those participating was priority, and many endured long hours of waiting for their plane to altitude, in between weather holds.

After multiple group training sessions, jumpers were assisted into their harness and waited for an instructor to land. Both then boarded the aircraft and exited the large tailgate door stepping out into the sky below. 93 tandem skydives were completed that day, while others were able to make up their jump at a later date.

Officer Connington an avid skydiver, attempted to complete 21 jumps to salute all troops as the event fell on Armed Forces Day. This was attempted by jumping two different parachute rigs, with the assistance of others packing the chutes for him. Due to the weather holds, he was able to complete 16 jumps while raising donations for LLS.

Cop Drop 2006 was a great success and showed just how far some will go for a good cause. The Mahwah Police and PBA Local #143 would like to thank everyone who attended, supported, and donated to this worthy cause.