 I'm Leslie McVane. Welcome to another community television network member highlight. Today we're featuring Ripple Effect in a different way. We're now out on the water in a kayak. We're in Monument Square by one city center as people repel off the building behind me. I keep saying jump, but they are repelling down. And our executive director, Tom Handell, is doing this in honor of this fundraiser for Ripple Effect. I don't know how many stories it is, but quite a few. And Tom will be wearing a GoPro as he comes off the side of the building so you can see what it feels like if you can't be here to do it yourself. And you can still donate to the cause after if you find that it was just so thrilling you can't not want to support Ripple Effect. So we're going to interview a few people and see why they're here. And then when Tom gets down we will ask him how it felt. Tell us a little bit about your experience with the Ripple Effect. Sure. So I was a sea kayak guide. I also guided on the island with the wall climbing and ziplining and basically just working on communication and collaboration with all of the students with all of the kids out there. It's such a unique place and it develops the kids in their bodies, their minds, their spirits. It's a really unique place. There's self-confidence all around. Definitely. So how do you translate that back in the classroom? Sure. Well, I work at Greeley Middle School and we have a nice partnership with Ripple Effect. And we're able to, you know, take those skills that they learned of how they work together in groups and bring that back into the classroom. Ripple Effect actually comes to our school now. They work with our sixth graders. Our seventh graders go to Cow Island. And then our eighth graders got to do some more team building activities to continue what they learned on the island at the school this year. So it's a really cool partnership. It sounds wonderful. And I hope they are able to do it in all the schools at some point. Me too. It's very worthwhile. Well, thank you so much. You have a daughter up there on that building. I do. How do you feel about that? A little apprehensive, but I am sure it's safe. Has she done anything like this before? No. Her daughter's name is Monique. Monique. And Monique is dressed like a banana. Don't take your eyes off her, but has she always been sort of a daredevil? Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. So did you, your hair isn't even gray. I can't believe it, but it's colored. Good luck. Thank you. Thank you very much. Maybe we'll get a few words from her as she lands. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, banana. How did that feel? It was invigorating, but very scary. Absolutely. You've never done anything like that before. Not quite, no. I saw you started off a little slow and I'm like, oh, but then you went zooming down and caught right up with Superwoman. Yeah, they told me that at first because I don't weigh enough to really get my weight to pull me down. And it was really scary to have to let loose the rope and trust that it was going to hold me. But once I got going, I just didn't want to look down. I just kept looking straight ahead. Well, and I hear you go all over the world as a banana. I do. The banana has made appearances in several different countries. Yes. And hopefully more to come. Hopefully, yes. Thank you. Thank you. Bye. Bye. It's Superwoman. Hi. That's me. Hello. Have you done this before? Not at all. I've got rock walls in the past, but that's a totally different experience. You're starting on the ground, going up, going over the lip was definitely the hardest part of just trusting the equipment that it's going to get you as you're sitting back. And I was looking at the guy who's talking to me and I went to look to Monique who was next to me, the banana. But I noticed as soon as I looked at her, I could peripherally see how high I was. So I was like talking to her like this. Monique, you over there? I can't turn my head because if I see how high we are, I'm going to freak out. Awesome. That's what I was wondering. I know. Oh, they're shaking. Can you get their shaking legs, man? Look at her. Yeah. Oh, I thought you were just cold. I'm just, they may be a little bit of that too. You look good though. Thank you. Good form. Strong. Good form. Will you do it again? I maybe would. I'm just going to go have something to drink first. You did this because of ripple effects. Absolutely. It's all for ripple effects. When I found out that they were doing this event, I thought it was so cool and in line with their mission as well, you know, about getting people out of their comfort zones to do awesome stuff. This is exactly the kind of thing that I thought was so scary. We think things are scary all the time, but they turn out to be the best, most adventurous thing. Look alive. I feel alive. Thank you. Thank you. It's just been announced that Tom is going to come over the edge now. So we're going to do some footage of that and then talk with him when he gets to the bottom. Okay. Two bars. Yeah. That's what I thought. Okay. Cool. There you go. You're good now. Just stand up straight. Just stand up straight. Good to go. Good. Can I put my hands like this? Yeah, you're good. You are absolutely great. Right now. So we sit down and lean back. That's it. No death grip. Don't come back to me. Okay. You're not permitted to come back into the room. Okay. But how about the handle? When do I take the handle? Now. Okay. Now let's pull it down or up? Pull it over. Pull it up. Lift the grip. Lift it over. Lift it over. Lift the handle over. Oh, put the handle over. Yeah. Now pull it toward me. There you go. Okay. Don't move your feet yet. Don't move my feet. Put down your heels. Okay. Easy. Work it back. Work it back. Don't move your feet. Don't move your feet. Don't move your feet. Don't move your feet. Keep going. Trust me. I don't know anything. Okay. Now slow this down. Now keep your butt and your feet in that position. See you're doing it. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Two. That's three. You did it. How was it? It was a little scary, but it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I didn't look down much, but I should have looked up more. I really didn't talk too much either. Bill wanted me to talk, but I was just like, I don't know. My right hand feels really sore from holding on so tight. I shouldn't have been holding on that time. I was nervous. It's really very, it's very safe feeling. Was your heart going fast? Yeah. Yeah. I was definitely shaking, shaking quite a bit and not looking down a lot, but when I looked down, it wasn't so bad either. Would you do it again? Yeah. I definitely would. How that you've done it well. I probably would enjoy it the second time because I know it's safer. We had another woman we talked to and her legs were still shaking. Oh, were they? Yeah. Yeah. No, it was fun. It was fun. It was fun in a way. I guess I could have enjoyed it more if I wasn't as nervous. So it was a good cause. Yeah, as well. I mean, you know. So now I can sign you up to jump out of an airplane next? No, no, not that, not that, not that, but this was good. Thanks for doing it, Tom. Right.