craichead 0 #1 June 27, 2005 A nice write-up about the 8th Annual Skydiving for MS Boogie that took place this past weekend at Chicagoland Skydiving Center! Initial estimates are that we raised over $15,000! _Pm http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/top/e27skydive.htm Hundreds 'take the plunge' for MS By Christine S. Moyer STAFF WRITER HINCKLEY — Fourteen thousand feet above the ground Donna Miles of Bellwood left her wheelchair behind and soared through the air. With her legs strapped together and a skydiver strapped to her back she free fell at 120 miles per hour before gently gliding through the clouds to an open field on Saturday. It was Miles' first try at tandem skydiving and seemingly fitting that it was done to help raise money for the disease that has left her paralyzed from the waste down — multiple sclerosis. "She has guts, stamina and brains ... she has a lot more guts than I do," said friend Jon Sipe who rode with her in the plane. Although sick from the heat and the excitement, Miles told friends the jump was "an unbelievable experience," and "an amazing adrenaline rush." Miles was among about several hundred MS sufferers and thrill seekers who attended the eighth annual skydiving for MS event on Saturday in Hinckley raising money for the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National MS Society. The event was sponsored by the Chicagoland Skydiving Center and will help fund the society's Advocacy Government Relations Committee, which fights for laws that would aid people with disabilities. According to Event Manager Dave Perez, this year's goal was to raise $10,000 with 10 percent of the registration and admission fees and 100 percent of the raffle ticket sales going to the society. And when asked why raise money for MS through skydiving, Perez said, "Why not?" The 40-year-old Plainfield resident has firsthand experience with tandem jumping and battling the disease that damages the central nervous system. He has jumped 13 times and was first diagnosed with MS at the age of 22 when he was serving in the Navy. Initially Perez was totally paralyzed and doctors thought his case was hopeless. But today, 18 years later his only visible symptoms are the cane he leans on when he's tired and the regular fatigue. For him, skydiving offers the ideal balance of extreme exhilaration and peace. There is the stomach-dropping free fall and then the graceful float through the clouds towards the ground. And he said Saturday's event offered other MS sufferers the same experience while raising money for the society and shedding light on the disease and many of its misconceptions. Multiple sclerosis is not fatal, it is not contagious, it does not leave most people confined to wheelchairs and it does not mean people have to stop living a normal life. Perez said, "People say, I'm disabled, can I do it (skydiving) ... But it's almost like so many things with MS you just find different ways, different tools to do it." In many cases, special straps are used to keep MS sufferers' legs together and attendants wait in the landing area with a golf cart, ready to zip them back to their friends and family. According to the event manager, about 50 people with MS attended last year's fund raiser and roughly 18 of them jumped. This year Perez and his wife Cecile, who also has MS, expected a similar turnout. Although Cecile has never jumped, she said people come back year after year just to get a taste of what she called a freeing experience. Nick Squires of Gilberts was among those at Saturday's event who does not have the disease but was eager to help "a good cause." Saturday marked the second tandem jump for the 24-year-old whose cousin has MS. "At 14,000 feet it's freezing. The 120 mph blasts feel like an air conditioner," Squires said. "I love the uncontrolled fall with the ground rushing up at you. It's hard to explain — all in all it's a good time." And that was the goal, according to Perez, to have fun, to raise money and to recognize that having MS does not mean having to change your life. "I hate to (say we) have MS in common," Cecile said about she and her husband, "But it's just a part of your life." 6/27/05 Caption for attached photo: Sara Spitler (left) and Karen Softcheck jockey for position at the door of the plane prior to jumping Saturday afternoon at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Hinckley. The center, along with the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, teamed up for the fund raiser. MICHAEL R. SCHMIDT / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER__ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpergirl 0 #2 June 27, 2005 YIPPEE!! How wonderful that the boogie raised $15,000!!!! That's AWESOME!!!! I hope to make it up there one year for the boogie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skycat 0 #3 June 27, 2005 Oh that is so wonderful. My Mom has MS and has had it since she was 22 (now 57), she is currently in a nursing home and not doing very well. It is such a terrible disease that affects everyone differently, and is such a rollercoaster for the person who has it and their families.Fly it like you stole it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites craichead 0 #4 June 27, 2005 Another nice write up...and you can see AndyMan in the photo! He's the dude in the foreground with the black, purple & turquoise jumpsuit with the black, purple and turquoise Icon. Oh yeah, and a bald head. _Pm http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2005/06/26/news/news03.txt Free fallin' Annual event expected to raise $10,000 for MS By Renee Messacar - Staff Writer HINCKLEY - Some people hold bake sales, car washes or walks to raise money for their causes. But one group jumps out of planes for its cause - multiple sclerosis. The Chicagoland Skydiving Center on Route 30 in Hinckley was the site of the Eighth Annual Skydiving for MS event on Saturday. Over the center, skydivers jumped from an airplane 14,000 feet in the air. Jumpers fell for a minute before opening their brightly colored parachutes for a five-minute journey to the landing field. On the ground, attendees played volleyball and horseshoes and participated in raffles and auctions. The event, which allows people of various abilities to skydive, raises about $10,000 annually for the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. "It started ... when a fellow skydiver was diagnosed with MS," said Dave Perez of Plainfield. "It was just myself and another guy, and then it blossomed." Perez, who was diagnosed 18 years ago with the disease, which attacks the nervous system and affects each person differently, said he has watched the event grow to include more than 30 people with MS who jumped last year. Others also were invited to participate. "Gravity affects all of us the same, whether you can walk or not," he said. Chicagoland Skydiving Center has equipment that allows people of varying physical ability to jump, such as harnesses for landing that pull up the legs of people too weak to move them on their own. Perez said the event is inspiring because it gives people a chance to forget about their problems and do something wild. The extra attention that staff gave Fred Gorniak of Lake Village, Ind., allowed him to focus on completing his fourth skydive and not worry about his MS, he said. "They asked if I wanted to take my walker out into the field or get picked up by a golf cart," he said. "Of course I chose the golf cart." On Saturday, he jumped for his fourth time, which was his first time with the event. "Now I'll be a regular at this," he said. Gorniak brought with him friend Rob Hefner of Crown Point, Ind. "I've always wanted to do this," Hefner said. "(Gorniak) told me about this, and it seemed like a good opportunity. We've been planning to attend for the past two months. And today I jumped, had fun and raised money for the MS Society." Hefner said that when he was falling at a high speed and looking across the countryside, he got an overwhelming rush. "I can't put it into words," he said, adding that he would love to jump again. Word of the event got the attention of Corey and Mark Kujawa of Lafayette, Ind., who have wanted to skydive for a while and saw this as a good opportunity. While waiting for their turn to go up, Corey Kujawa watched people coming in from the field after a jump. They carried their gear and grinned triumphantly. "We're out for the adrenaline rush," she said as she smiled back at the jumpers. "We're always looking for an adventure," her husband agreed. First-timers took a brief class about what to do in the air and were accompanied by instructors for a tandem jump, during which a jumper is strapped to a jump instructor. Tandem jumps cost $189, a portion of which went to the cause, Perez said. Attendance at the event was free, although people who paid a $20 registration fee received dinner and a T-shirt and were treated to a band performance. Pat Duray of Oak Forest attended the event and supported it but didn't jump. Instead, her husband went up for her. "I was diagnosed with MS 23 years ago, and he does this for me," she said. They first attended the event in 2002. "When he offered to do it, I thought it was very nice but a little crazy," she said. "I'm scared to death when he's up there." Duray said Skydiving for MS is a great way to raise money for and awareness of the disease, which she feared would take her life 23 years ago. After the birth of her daughter, Duray felt incredibly tired, weak and generally ill. She eventually was diagnosed with MS and spent the next few years on various medicines, getting blood treatments and resting. She said her symptoms basically are gone now. Perez told a similar story about becoming very ill from MS and then getting the disease under control. He first experienced MS symptoms when he was 22 years old and in the U.S. Navy. "I didn't know how to handle it then," he said. "It's an invisible disease that affects each person differently." He said he hoped that by jumping from a plane, he could save others the years of pain that he has experienced. Renee Messacar can be reached at rmessacar@pulitzer.net Caption for attached photo: Skydivers file onto an airplane Saturday at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Hinckley during the Eighth Annual Skydiving for MS event. People from throughout Illinois and Indiana attended the event to raise money for multiple sclerosis research and treatment. Chronicle photo RENEE MESSACAR__ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Jeth 0 #5 June 27, 2005 Congrats, guys! That is awesome that so much money was raised and a good time was had by all!! "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. 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skycat 0 #3 June 27, 2005 Oh that is so wonderful. My Mom has MS and has had it since she was 22 (now 57), she is currently in a nursing home and not doing very well. It is such a terrible disease that affects everyone differently, and is such a rollercoaster for the person who has it and their families.Fly it like you stole it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craichead 0 #4 June 27, 2005 Another nice write up...and you can see AndyMan in the photo! He's the dude in the foreground with the black, purple & turquoise jumpsuit with the black, purple and turquoise Icon. Oh yeah, and a bald head. _Pm http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2005/06/26/news/news03.txt Free fallin' Annual event expected to raise $10,000 for MS By Renee Messacar - Staff Writer HINCKLEY - Some people hold bake sales, car washes or walks to raise money for their causes. But one group jumps out of planes for its cause - multiple sclerosis. The Chicagoland Skydiving Center on Route 30 in Hinckley was the site of the Eighth Annual Skydiving for MS event on Saturday. Over the center, skydivers jumped from an airplane 14,000 feet in the air. Jumpers fell for a minute before opening their brightly colored parachutes for a five-minute journey to the landing field. On the ground, attendees played volleyball and horseshoes and participated in raffles and auctions. The event, which allows people of various abilities to skydive, raises about $10,000 annually for the Greater Illinois Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. "It started ... when a fellow skydiver was diagnosed with MS," said Dave Perez of Plainfield. "It was just myself and another guy, and then it blossomed." Perez, who was diagnosed 18 years ago with the disease, which attacks the nervous system and affects each person differently, said he has watched the event grow to include more than 30 people with MS who jumped last year. Others also were invited to participate. "Gravity affects all of us the same, whether you can walk or not," he said. Chicagoland Skydiving Center has equipment that allows people of varying physical ability to jump, such as harnesses for landing that pull up the legs of people too weak to move them on their own. Perez said the event is inspiring because it gives people a chance to forget about their problems and do something wild. The extra attention that staff gave Fred Gorniak of Lake Village, Ind., allowed him to focus on completing his fourth skydive and not worry about his MS, he said. "They asked if I wanted to take my walker out into the field or get picked up by a golf cart," he said. "Of course I chose the golf cart." On Saturday, he jumped for his fourth time, which was his first time with the event. "Now I'll be a regular at this," he said. Gorniak brought with him friend Rob Hefner of Crown Point, Ind. "I've always wanted to do this," Hefner said. "(Gorniak) told me about this, and it seemed like a good opportunity. We've been planning to attend for the past two months. And today I jumped, had fun and raised money for the MS Society." Hefner said that when he was falling at a high speed and looking across the countryside, he got an overwhelming rush. "I can't put it into words," he said, adding that he would love to jump again. Word of the event got the attention of Corey and Mark Kujawa of Lafayette, Ind., who have wanted to skydive for a while and saw this as a good opportunity. While waiting for their turn to go up, Corey Kujawa watched people coming in from the field after a jump. They carried their gear and grinned triumphantly. "We're out for the adrenaline rush," she said as she smiled back at the jumpers. "We're always looking for an adventure," her husband agreed. First-timers took a brief class about what to do in the air and were accompanied by instructors for a tandem jump, during which a jumper is strapped to a jump instructor. Tandem jumps cost $189, a portion of which went to the cause, Perez said. Attendance at the event was free, although people who paid a $20 registration fee received dinner and a T-shirt and were treated to a band performance. Pat Duray of Oak Forest attended the event and supported it but didn't jump. Instead, her husband went up for her. "I was diagnosed with MS 23 years ago, and he does this for me," she said. They first attended the event in 2002. "When he offered to do it, I thought it was very nice but a little crazy," she said. "I'm scared to death when he's up there." Duray said Skydiving for MS is a great way to raise money for and awareness of the disease, which she feared would take her life 23 years ago. After the birth of her daughter, Duray felt incredibly tired, weak and generally ill. She eventually was diagnosed with MS and spent the next few years on various medicines, getting blood treatments and resting. She said her symptoms basically are gone now. Perez told a similar story about becoming very ill from MS and then getting the disease under control. He first experienced MS symptoms when he was 22 years old and in the U.S. Navy. "I didn't know how to handle it then," he said. "It's an invisible disease that affects each person differently." He said he hoped that by jumping from a plane, he could save others the years of pain that he has experienced. Renee Messacar can be reached at rmessacar@pulitzer.net Caption for attached photo: Skydivers file onto an airplane Saturday at the Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Hinckley during the Eighth Annual Skydiving for MS event. People from throughout Illinois and Indiana attended the event to raise money for multiple sclerosis research and treatment. Chronicle photo RENEE MESSACAR__ "Scared of love, love and aeroplanes...falling out, I said takes no brains." -- Andy Partridge (XTC) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jeth 0 #5 June 27, 2005 Congrats, guys! That is awesome that so much money was raised and a good time was had by all!! "At 13,000 feet nothing else matters." PFRX!!!!! Team Funnel #174, Sunshine kisspass #109 My Jump Site Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
