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Rappel down an 11 story building in Ypsilanti for a good cause

‘Over the Edge’ fundraiser returns in September

Participants go "Over the Edge" of the Graduate Ann Arbor hotel in a fundraiser for Friends in Deed on September 5, 2020. (Austin Thomason, 2020 Austin Thomason)

YPSILANTI, Mich. – Help end poverty in Washtenaw County and get an adrenaline rush while inching down the 11-story Hill Hall at Eastern Michigan University.

The “Over the Edge” fundraiser returns on Saturday, Sept. 23, to raise money for Friends in Deed, a Ypsilanti-based organization providing free transportation, vehicle repair services and furniture to local low-income families.

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Individuals, teams, coworkers and congregations can create fundraiser pages to either nominate others to rappel down the towering Hill Hall or to take the plunge themselves.

Participants need to raise at least $1,000.

The “Over the Edge” event has received support from numerous well-known community members including President Emeritus of UMS Ken Fischer, author and sports journalist John U. Bacon, University of Michigan Soccer Coach Jen Klein and philanthropists Roy and Cynthia Wilbanks.

“I’ve been involved with Friends In Deed for a few years now,” Bacon said in a statement for the 2022 event. “It’s a fantastic organization and it helps more people than you could possibly imagine.”

Friends in Deed has raised more than $300,000 for Washtenaw County families since the local event started three years ago.

Learn more details here.

Check out these photos of past events:

Participants go "Over the Edge" of the Graduate Ann Arbor hotel in a fundraiser for Friends in Deed on September 4, 2020. (2020 Austin Thomason)
Raise funds to rappel down The Graduate Ann Arbor in July. (Friends In Deed)
Participants go "Over the Edge" of the Graduate Ann Arbor hotel in a fundraiser for Friends in Deed on September 4, 2020. (Austin Thomason)

About the Author
Sarah Parlette headshot

Sarah has worked for WDIV since June 2018. She covers community events, good eats and small businesses in Ann Arbor and has a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from Grand Valley State University.

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