West Seattle residents Mike Gutt, pictured top, and Mike Powell, pictured lower left, rappel Rainier Tower, 1301 Fifth Ave., for the Special Olympics' 2nd annual "Over the Edge". They are colleagues with K2 Sports that co-sponsored the event. They helped organize and operate it as nearly 200 will rappel the tower this weekend to raise over $200,000 for the charity. Columbia Center, pictured rear, left. CLICK ON PHOTO FOR SLIDESHOW.
CLICK ON PHOTO FOR SLIDESHOW
Some call it the "upside down pencil", others "the flower vase building", but whatever its nickname, the 514-foot Rainier Tower, the one with the "bite" taken out of it at the bottom, presents a challenge for the nearly 200 participants who each raised at least $1,000 to rappel 1301 Fifth Ave. The event is called "Over the Edge".
Friday was "Press Day", while on Saturday and Sunday the building will host the bulk of brave amateur athletes and donars. Special Olympics Washington has raised over $233,000 for this event. Last year they raised $181,000.
Sponsors include Root Sports, a group of regional sports networks owned by DirecTV Sports Networks, affiliated with the overall Fox Sports Net system, and K2 Sports, which officially moved off Vashon Island and is now at 4201 6th Avenue South, two blocks east of the 4th Avenue South Costco. Roughly one third of K2 Sports' over 250 employees live in West Seattle.
You can read our coverage of last year's event here:
"This is our second year sponsoring Over the Edge," Mike Gutt, Global Marketing Manager, K2 Sports, and Lowman Beach resident. "This event is in our backyard and we wanted to be a part of it. We have been supporting Special Olympics Washington since 2006 with other activities and sponsorship."
Gutt has guts, and went over the edge both last year and this year.
"I enjoyed going down it again," said Gutt. "My plans for the future include drinking that can of beer over there as fast as humanly possible."
He began the descent with co-worker and Alki resident Mike Powell, Ski Team Manager and Marketer for K2's Inline Skate division, which, he said, rounds out their winter ski equipment business. Gutt help organize the event, while Powell is emcee and, armed with a mike and large speakers, gently taunts the rappellers to the delight of their family members with heads cranked skyward. He emceed a large ski jump event a year ago 4th of July in front of Caesar's Palace.
"This was my first time," Powell said of his descent. "It's a lot more scary dropping off the building than standing on the ground talking on a microphone."
Sarah Thibaudeau lives near the Morgan Junction and is stationed at the Tower helping out all weekend. She is with Special Olympics' development department.
Laura Thomas, also of West Seattle, is the building manager for Rainier Tower, a Unico Property. She keeps track of activities on the roof but said she is not planning to rappel.
"I am very proud this building is hosting the event," she said. This is exciting."
Mandy Wohr lives near Westfield Village and volunteered for the weekend fundraiser. "I love the Special Olympics," she said. "I volunteered in high school and college. I read about last year's event and thought it was a great idea."
Norm Smith, a West Seattle High School class of '74 grad, will be racing up and down the elevator this weekend helping out and taking pictures from the roof. Smith has been on the Special Olympics Board of Directors for nine years.
"My son, Ian, rappels on Sunday," Smith said proudly of his 25 year-old, adding, "My 24 year-old son Zachery is a Special Olympics athlete and will be sworn in as a Special Olympics Board Member August 18."
