Jump for the Cause is a non-profit group of women who perform mass skydiving formations to raise money. A new world's record was set on Saturday, September 26, 2009; when 181 women from 31 countries jumped in formation. This event also raised more than $900,000 for a cancer-care center based in California. [1]
Jump For The Cause was established in 1997 as a U.S. Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) corporation. [2] It was founded by Mallory Lewis, Brad Hood, Kate Cooper-Jensen, and Tony Domenico. In the past, the organization has raised over $400,000 to sponsor the Stereotactic Biopsy Exam Room at the City of Hope’s breast cancer research and treatment center. It has also raised more than $500,000 to sponsor an entire floor at the hospital’s research building. [3]
Jump for the Cause has made three prior FAI recognized Women's World Records in skydiving since their formation in 1999. This jump; having been the largest yet, consisted of 181 women from 26 countries who jumped from nine planes at 17,000 feet. The women were finally able to break the world record on the sixth attempt. The prior records were a 118 way set in 1999, a 132 way in 2002 and a 151 skydiver formation set in 2005. There were no reported injuries from anyone involved. [1] All JFTC events have been held at the Perris Valley Skydiving Center in Perris, California. The most recent JFTC was run from 21–27 September 2009 during a festival celebrating the beginning of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. [2]
The group was co-organized by Mallory Lewis, the daughter of Shari Lewis, the puppeteer of Lamb Chop and author of many children's books. She stated that she was hoping to raise $700,000 for City of Hope, a cancer-care center in California, United States. "I couldn't believe when we passed $900,000." Lewis stated. [1] Primary organizer of the skydiving section of the event was Kate Cooper-Jensen aided by Tony Domenico. Cooper-Jensen ran the skydiving part of the event and Domenico coordinated the formation designs and dive plans.
Perris is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located 71 miles (114 km) east-southeast of Los Angeles, California, and 81 miles (130 km) north of San Diego, California. It is known for Lake Perris, which hosts a variety of flora and fauna. The city is most widely recognized for having many choices involving aerial activities, such as skydiving and hot-air ballooning. Perris is within the Inland Empire metropolitan area of Southern California. Perris had a population of 80,067 as of the 2020 census.
Elizabeth Anne Ford was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a politically active presidential spouse. Ford also served as the second lady of the United States from 1973 to 1974.
Wingsuit flying is the sport of skydiving using a webbing-sleeved jumpsuit called a wingsuit to add wetted area to the diver's body and generate increased lift, which allows extended air time by gliding flight rather than just free falling. The modern wingsuit, first developed in the late 1990s, uses a pair of fabric membranes stretched flat between the arms and flanks/thighs to imitate an airfoil, and often also between the legs to function as a tail and allow some aerial steering.
The pink ribbon is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Pink ribbons, and the color pink in general, identify the wearer or promoter with the breast cancer brand and express moral support for women with breast cancer. Pink ribbons are most commonly seen during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Chaunté Lowe is an American athlete who competes in the high jump. A four-time Olympian, she is the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, the 2005 World Championship silver medalist and the 2012 World Indoor gold medalist. She initially finished sixth in the 2008 Olympic high jump final, but was promoted to the bronze medal in 2016 after three competitors were disqualified for doping. She is the American record holder in the women's high jump with an outdoor clearance of 2.05 m in 2010, and holds the indoor record with a clearance of 2.02 m in 2012.
The Canadian Cancer Society is Canada's largest national cancer charity and the largest national charitable funder of cancer research in Canada.
Susan G. Komen is a breast cancer organization in the United States.
Joni Eareckson Tada is an evangelical Christian author, radio host, artist, and founder of Joni and Friends, an organization "accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community".
Mallory Lewis is an American writer, television producer, ventriloquist, and puppeteer. Lamb Chop is a sock puppet created by Lewis' mother, Shari Lewis.
City of Hope is a private, not-for-profit clinical research center, hospital and graduate medical school located in Duarte, California, United States. The center's main campus resides on 110 acre of land adjacent to the boundaries of Duarte and Irwindale, with a network of clinical practice locations throughout Southern California, satellite offices in Monrovia and Irwindale, and regional fundraising offices throughout the United States.
Skydive Hibaldstow is a BS affiliated parachuting centre and skydiving drop zone at Hibaldstow, in North Lincolnshire, England.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), also referred to in the United States as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM), is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
Perris Valley Airport is a privately owned and operated airport open to public use and located one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Perris, serving Riverside County, California, United States. It has one runway and is used for general aviation and extensive skydiving. The airport operates from dawn to dusk daily year-round.
James Maxwell McCormick is an American speaker, author, and professional skydiver who is known for his expertise in intelligent risk-taking and innovation. He is founder of The Research Institute for Risk Intelligence, holds ten skydiving world records, and was a member of an international expedition that skydived to the North Pole. He served three years in the Reagan Administration in Washington, DC before returning to the private sector where, among other engagements, he served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at design firm Anshen+Allen Architects.
Roberta Mancino is an Italian skydiver, BASE jumper, wingsuit flyer and international model. She has participated in more than 12,500 skydives and won several awards and world records. She has gone on four skydives while completely naked, and on five occasions her parachute did not open in mid-jump. In 2010, Mancino was named the World's Sexiest Female Athlete by the magazine Men's Fitness.
Breast cancer awareness is an effort to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of breast cancer through education on symptoms and treatment. Supporters hope that greater knowledge will lead to earlier detection of breast cancer, which is associated with higher long-term survival rates, and that money raised for breast cancer will produce a reliable, permanent cure.
Skydive Empuriabrava is the brand that has been commercially operating Empuriabrava Aerodrome since 1985. Since it began operating its main activity has been skydiving although it also offers photo flights, aerial and tourist advertising, and runs a school of aviation for private pilots.
H. Truesdell Smith—known variously as "H. T. Smith", "Henry Truesdell Smith", "Harold Truesdell Smith", or "Daredevil Smitty" but best known as "Smitty the Jumper"—was an American exhibition parachutist and skydiver of the 1920s and 1930s—who made periodic returns to skydiving starting in the late 1950s, jumping in every subsequent decade until his death—becoming widely known as "the oldest living skydiver", a title he claimed until his death in 1995 at the age of 96.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) is a U.S. breast cancer organization that promotes breast cancer awareness and education, provides free screening services, and supports breast cancer patients and survivors.