On Monday, May 6, 2024 a fearless
few became the first in history to make a rope descent of the
world's most famous skyscraper, The Empire State Building. This
incredible feat — the first of its kind — is a proud collaboration
between the Empire State Realty Trust and Outward Bound.
NEW
YORK, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
Big Rappel is a collaboration between Outward Bound, Empire State
Realty Trust
"Outward Bound is excited to make history
as part of this epic rappel event at the Empire State Building.
After years of planning, we join our event partners to raise
significant funding to support our much-needed experiential
educational programs around the world."
On Monday, May 6, 2024, a fearless
few became the first in history to make a rope descent of the
world's most famous skyscraper, The Empire State Building. This
incredible feat — the first of its kind — is a proud collaboration
between the Empire State Realty Trust and Outward Bound.
The Big Rappel, and the Empire State Building itself, is a
symbol of what can be accomplished when determined people come
together to do the seemingly impossible. The funds raised from this
event will go toward providing transformational learning
opportunities to young people in the USA and across the globe through Outward
Bound. Participants' total donations so far exceed $3 million. You too can give to this historic
event!
Jared Leto kicked off The Big
Rappel on Monday morning, a descent which spans nearly 900 feet
from the building's iconic spire down to the 30th floor.
"Recently, I climbed up the fin of the Empire State Building to
announce Thirty Seconds to Mars' world tour and now as the tour
begins, I'm excited to head the opposite direction and rappel down
to shine a light on the incredible work of Outward Bound." said
Jared Leto. "I've always admired
Outward Bound and how they inspire people around the globe to
transform their lives through adventure, challenge, experience, and
discovery."
At Outward Bound, our mission is to change lives through
challenge and discovery. We encourage our students to push the
limits of what they thought they could do. The Big Rappel is a
one-of-a-kind example of this ethos of embracing challenges and
seeking out unique opportunities for personal growth and
self-discovery.
Ginger Naylor, CEO of Outward
Bound USA, shared, "Outward
Bound is excited to make history as part of this epic rappel event
at the Empire State Building. After years of planning, we join our
event partners - the Empire State Realty Trust, Outward Bound
International, The Outward Bound Trust, and NYC Outward Bound
Schools - to raise significant funding to support our much-needed
experiential educational programs around the world. This
collaborative event merges Outward Bound's commitment to
transformative outdoor experiences and community building, with the
opportunity to raise funds to make Outward Bound possible for more
students in the US and across the globe. We are inspired by these
bold individuals who chose to rappel on behalf of our students,
staff, and the global Outward Bound community."
The Big Rappel encouraged numerous alumni to reconnect with
Outward Bound for another round of boundary-pushing adventures. The
thrill of The Big Rappel, combined with the support of Outward
Bound, inspired the event's participants to step out of their
comfort zones once more for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
One of the youngest rappelers, Jennifer Lopez, is a 2018 graduate of
WHEELS, a NYC Outward Bound public school in Washington Heights. Jenni speaks fondly of her
high school experience, remembering the tight-knit community at
WHEELS and the opportunity to attend a challenging and
life-changing 14-day backpacking and whitewater canoeing trip at
North Carolina Outward Bound School.
"Outward Bound has provided me with a lot of firsts — from my
first time whitewater rafting, to becoming the first in my family
to go to college. Because of Outward Bound, I'm always welcoming
the next challenge in my life, including The Big Rappel," said
Lopez.
Just after completing his descent down the Empire State
Building, Darren Richman,
member of the Outward Bound USA
Board of Directors and Outward Bound alumnus, shared, "I
participated because Outward Bound has very special meaning to me.
I did a semester course when I was nineteen and it ignited a spark
in me that still burns bright to this day."
There are nine Outward Bound Schools across the United States, with one based right here
in New York City. NYC Outward
Bound Schools was founded 36 years ago by a group of individuals
determined to bring the Outward Bound ethos into New York City's public school classrooms
through equitable, immersive, and joyful learning experiences.
Today, this is achieved through a student-centered model that
integrates social, emotional, and academic development. NYC Outward
Bound Schools' helps students graduate with a solid postsecondary
plan, prepared to thrive in college, career, and life.
"The Big Rappel is a brilliant example of how collaboration and
support can help us achieve more than we thought possible," said
Vanessa Rodriguez, CEO of NYC
Outward Bound Schools. "We are so grateful to our partners at
The Empire State Realty Trust, Outward Bound International, The
Outward Bound Trust, and Outward Bound USA, and thrilled to have such an inspiring
event take place in our city."
Learn more about The Big Rappel here.
About Outward Bound
Outward Bound, founded in 1941 by educator Kurt Hahn, is a non-profit educational
organization that serves people of all ages and backgrounds through
challenging learning expeditions that focus on developing social
emotional skills. Outward Bound helps individuals and teams
discover strength of character and an aptitude for leadership
needed to serve others in their community and care for the world
around them. Outward Bound delivers programs for students and
educators through its nine Schools across the United States. For more information, go to
www.outwardbound.org.
About NYC Outward Bound Schools
NYC Outward Bound Schools is a nonprofit organization that
partners with over 70 NYC public schools. Our student-centered
model integrates social, emotional, and academic development — all
critical components of student success. We coach educators and
school leaders, provide adventure programming for students, and
work with schools to help ensure students have voice and choice in
what they learn. Together, our supports help students graduate with
a solid postsecondary plan, prepared to thrive in college, career
and life. Attending a school that fully embraces our model
increases a student's chance of graduating on time by over 9%. For
more information, go to: www.nycoutwardbound.org
Media Contact
Ben Worden, Outward Bound
USA, 1 313.706.8088,
bworden@outwardbound.org, www.outwardbound.org
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SOURCE Outward Bound USA