DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO GO OVER THE EDGE?

General

What is Over the Edge?

Over the Edge is a Canada-based special events company that provides signature events for non-profit organizations anywhere in North America. Participants are invited to raise pledges in exchange for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of repelling over the edge of a local building. In Knoxville, the Over the Edge crew handles the technical aspects of the event and The Arc Knox County recruits rappellers to participate in the event and raise money on their behalf. For more information about Over the Edge USA, please visit www.overtheedgeusa.com .

How does it work?

To go Over the Edge, individual participants must raise a minimum of $1,000. The majority of fundraising is done online through the donation portal.  Think of it like any fundraising walk or run event - your friends, family, co-workers donate to help you reach your goal

Is there a registration fee?

Yes, all participants must pay a $35. So, essentially the individual participant must only raise an additional $965 to go Over the Edge since the $35 fee counts towards your fundraising goal.

What does the money from Over the Edge benefit?

Our Programs include:

Community Day Program:

With an emphasis on community integration and competitive employment, the Sunshine Community Program provides activities for individuals interested in learning about the many options available to them, including job exploration, volunteering opportunities, and leisure activities during the week. Educational modules help individuals learn safety skills, resume building, and work expectations; interest inventories help them discover areas of work or play that they wish to pursue, and small group activities provide peer support as well as staff assistance as they explore some of these options. The goal is to expand their world, increase their confidence in navigating their community, and raise their awareness of the opportunities that are out there.

Early Intervention:

Sunshine Early Intervention is an Early Intervention Resource Agency provided through Tennessee’s Early Intervention System. It offers a home-based educational program for Knox County families with children aged birth to their 3rd birthday who qualify as having a learning problem or delay in development under the Department of Education criteria. Families receive a visit each week from a Developmental Therapist who helps them teach their child by practicing skills during the daily routines of the home environment. Services include lesson plans, developmental assessments, progress reports, and assistance with coordinating additional services in the community.

  Leisure Services:

The Leisure Services program is an innovative, community-based, therapeutic recreation program serving a wide variety of participants. A calendar of diverse and exciting activities is distributed on a monthly basis to persons served by the Arc Knox County as well as other citizens in the community who request it. Activities are designed to allow participants to personalize their own leisure schedules while increasing their independence, improving self-esteem, and enhancing their quality of life. Weekly outings include a wide variety of activities, such as bowling, movies, local sporting events, walking groups, and Special Olympics activities. A variety of vacations are offered each year and in the past have included trips to places such as New York City, Niagara Falls, and Myrtle Beach.

Residential Services:

Beta Homes are residential programs serving adults with intellectual disabilities and/or mental illness. There are two 10-person group homes with 24/7 staff supervision. Training by staff promotes personal growth and development for residents who require consistent structure and supervision. Residents may work at Sunshine Industries. The supervised and structured living environment allows individuals the opportunity to live successfully in the community.

The Independent Living Program (ILP) serves residents living in the community at different locations in the North Knoxville area. Some own their own homes; others live in apartments. The ILP provides support services to adults with intellectual disabilities who live in the community. It offers training in independent living skills such as cooking, cleaning, and money management. Services are individualized to the needs of each person. This program is designed for individuals for whom shadow supervision is sufficient to live successfully on their own.

Sunshine Industries:

Sunshine Industries provides quality services at affordable prices. Our expertise is in packaging and assembly. During the past year we have worked for over 18 different companies, including Bailey International, Cumberland Companies, DeRoyal, Elavon, Jarden and Twinings just to name a few. Our current customer base ranges from large corporations to growing startups. Most of our customers are local, but we also work with companies located in Florida and North Carolina. We are committed to finding solutions for our customers that save them time and money. We have a 26,000-square-foot warehouse and an experienced workforce of over 100 employees. We will also work at your facility to provide flexibility. Our dedicated management team has several decades of collective experience. We strive to meet and exceed your expectations, quality requirements, and deadlines. Our committed management team has several decades of the collective experience and is dedicated to the success of our agency and the individuals we serve.

We currently manufacture several different products for the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime and the General Services Administration. Our product line includes metal bookcases, office stands, fuel cradle holders, mast sections, jack handles, magnetic hangers, and reeling machines. We also assemble a solar panel installation kit for the Coast Guard. The Director of Sunshine Industries has over 20 years of experience working in the setup and implementation of assembly and packaging lines and another 12 years of experience in management. Our Metal Shop Production Manager has over 10 years of experience working in the setup and implementation of assembly and packaging lines and another 12 years of experience with Sunshine Industries and is dedicated to providing excellent quality assurance. He has extensive knowledge in metal fabrication, welding, and painting, and is continually looking at ways to improve production processes and techniques.

Supported Employment:

Supported Employment offers job placement in the community, job coaching, and long-term follow-along to eligible referrals from Vocational Rehabilitation. This program provides opportunities for competitive employment while offering a level of support that meets the individual's needs. Job interests are determined through a series of assessments and every effort is made to locate a job in the individual’s area of interest. Consideration is given to an applicant’s skills, transportation options, etc.

100% of the funds raised from Over the Edge go directly to benefit our programs at The Arc Knox County.

Fundraising

I don't have any experience fundraising, how do I do it? 

Thanks to our online fundraising portal you can easily share your Over the Edge endeavor with friends and family near and far! When you register to go Over the Edge you will be prompted to create your own personal fundraising Web page that we have already created the template for. You can add photos, upload videos, and change the text on the page to help encourage your friends and family to support your Over the Edge efforts to benefit The Arc Knox County.

How do I raise enough money to go Over the Edge?

• You can collect “online” credit card donations by sending your friends and family a link to your personal fundraising page.
• You can also collect cash and check donations by using an offline form we will provide to you. “Offline” donors should include your name in the memo line of checks, and checks should be made out to The Arc Knox County. And don’t forget to record these donations on your personal fundraising page by entering in the amount by logging in, clicking the Funds link, and clicking “Add Offline Donation”.
• Cash and check donations can be mailed to The Arc Knox County or dropped off at our offices regularly up 1 week before event day.
  We don’t encourage you to mail cash — either drop it by our office, or turn it in on event day. Getting checks in quickly will assure your doors see those clear their banks in a timely manner.
• Before you know it, your friends, family and contacts will have helped you reach your fundraising goal and you’ll be rappelling down the side of the 16-story Trotter Building!
• Our office location for mailing: 3000 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917.

Does the $35 registration fee count toward my fundraising goal? 

Yes! Essentially, you are contributing $35 toward your own goal and asking friends and family to help with the remaining. When you register, the $35 fee will be added to your fundraising webpage.

What if someone wants to write a check or donate cash?

• Checks should be made out to The Arc Knox County and your name (the rappeller) should be written on the memo line.
• You should collect checks and cash from your donors and get them to The Arc Knox County.
• We don’t encourage you to mail cash – either drop it by our office, get a cashier’s check to mail, or turn it in on event day.
• It is important that we know that the check/cash donation should be credited to you, so make sure that information is available when you send in cash or checks. After May 27th, please hold on to any cash/checks you receive as donations, and bring them when you check-in on event day. - June 3rd
• If you have questions about donations or the accounting process, please email Chuck Howerton at chowerton@sunshinekcarc.com.
• Our office location: 3000 N. Central Street, Knoxville, TN 37917.

How do I add offline donations to my fundraising page? 

1. Go to your campaign page and click Transactions page link in the Admin menu
   2. Click the Add Offline Contribution button
   3. Enter the amount of the Offline Contribution, the contributor’s name , a message (if they wanted to post one), and the Date & time you received it, then click the Add contribution button
   4. That’s it! Any time you want to, you can see a list of all Offline Contributions made to your campaign by clicking the Offline Contributions link in the Admin menu in the black bar.

Are donations tax deductible? 

Yes, online contributions and checks are tax-deductible. FundRazr will automatically issue your donors a receipt for their gifts. This receipt can be used as support for a tax deduction. The Arc Knox County will issue receipts to donors contributing by check. Cash donations will not be issued a receipt unless presented on-site on event day.

What happens if I do not raise $1,000?

• Minimum Fundraising Clause: Each individual participant must reach the minimum $1,000 to go Over the Edge. With TRH being limited to a maximum number of rappelers we can get down the roped during the event this ensures our event raises the minimum goal. Also we want to be fair to everyone raising funds.
• If the minimum is not reached by May 27th please reach out to kwilson@sunshinekcarc.com to see what options you might have. Whatever you do, don't stop communicating with us - we can't help you otherwise!

Participants

Is there a minimum age to rappel? 

No, but minors must have their waiver signed by a consenting parent or guardian.

Are there weight restrictions for rappelling? 

Yes, participants must be between 100-300 pounds to safely fit into the harness equipment.

What should I wear for the rappel? 

You’re going to be walking down the side of the building so wear good shoes. No sandals, slip-on shoes, slippers, flip flops, high heels or steel toed boots are permitted. Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. The harness goes around your legs, waist and shoulders, so it is best to avoid anything too bulky. Long hair must be tied back. You will be given a pair of gloves and a helmet to wear while you rappel.

Can I rappel with my camera or other valuables?

• We constantly worry about objects being dropped over the side, so personal cameras are not permitted. You won’t have a free hand to take photos anyway!
• We will have professional photographers on the roof and you’ll receive the images after the event.
• On event day, you will check-in droppable items like keys and cell phones, or jewelry that can get caught on things. No phones are allowed on the roof!
• If you are using a GoPro it must be securely fastened to you to the satisfaction of the rappel staff. If you don’t have access to a GoPro one can be provided for your descent if you reach the $1,500 fundraising goal. That said, we hope you will share your experience on social media outlets using the hashtag #OverTheEdgeKnox.

Can I wear my glasses when I rappel? 

If you want to wear glasses, you will need to use Croakies or some other eyewear retainer to keep them from falling.

Can my friends or family take pictures of my from the roof?

Unfortunately friends of the participants will not be allowed on the roof top. The roof is a restricted access area. The Arc Knox County will have an event photographer taking pictures from the roof, ensuring that each participant gets a picture of himself or herself going over. However, your family and friends CAN watch from the Block Party celebration which will take place down below on Market Street. This area will have the best view for photographs!

Technical

Is Over the Edge safe?

Absolutely! Over the Edge has never had a single incident or accident at any event since their inception in 2003. Every Over the Edge event is set up as an industrial worksite and as a result is compliant with all federal and state OSHA Fall Protection Standards and OSHA Federal and State Laws. Further to this, our policies and procedures adhere to the best practices identified by IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) counsel. This counsel is a strict regulatory body that has regimented guidelines and safety protocols that far exceed the OSHA, Workers Compensation and state labor codes. To read more about safety, visit the Over the Edge site .

Who will be setting up the rappel gear and what are their qualifications?

All members of the Over the Edge technical team are IRATA and SPRAT certified industrial rope access technicians. We also rely on the help of volunteers from local fire departments, SWAT teams and AMGA Guides to assist with the ropes. All have extensive training in areas like rope rescue and/or are instructors in rope rescue or climbing.

How old are the ropes? How often are they inspected and by whom?

The Over the Edge technical team regularly orders new ropes. They are inspected by our qualified technical staff at the start and end of each event. During the event, safety checks are performed for each person before they rappel, and every 2 1/2 hours the team re-inspects all the rigging.

Do I get to practice before the big rappel?

Yes! You will have the opportunity to practice before your big rappel. This practice session will help you get used to the harness, rappel device and technique for descending the building!