When Andrew Thorburn was getting ready to rappel off the 28th story of a downtown building, his plan was to take it slow and — no matter what — not look down.
“I was thinking, I don’t want to appear like a wimp. I mean, there’s a 12-year-old girl up there getting ready, you know,” Thorburn said.
“I just have to look the man in the face, don’t look down and step back. And that’s what I did.”
Thorburn, deputy director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, was one of 40 people who stepped off the high-rise ledge Friday at One Lincoln Park in Denver to raise money and awareness for cancer research in Colorado. Each person raised at least $1,000.
He was, however, the only one wearing a kilt.
“I happened to say I’d do it in a kilt if we raised $2,000, and there was a considerable surge of excitement,” Thorburn said. “All you have to say is you will rappel 28 stories in a kilt, and people get their wallets out.”
The Cancer League of Colorado recruited the help of Over the Edge to put together the second-annual fundraising event.
Today, 60 more will do the stunt, including Jacki Selby, radio host at KOSI 101. In total, the 100 participants helped raise almost $125,000.
Rachel Neumann, the event chairwoman and a volunteer with the Cancer League, said last year’s event raised about $70,000.
“We’re very pleased how popular it was. This year, we had to do double ropes” to accommodate more participants, Neumann said. “We will definitely do it again next year.”
Nuclia Waste, a local drag-queen comedian, also raised about $2,300.
“I’m more nervous than I thought I would be, but my adrenaline is starting to kick in,” Waste said just before heading down. “I just got this Wonder Woman costume together. I figured I need to be a superhero.”
The CU Cancer Center will use the money raised to fund startup cancer-research projects.
Next month, researchers throughout Colorado will compete to have their projects funded by the money. If the startup projects are successful, researchers will then be able to ask for millions in grants to further their research.
“This is really important stuff; it’s really to get new projects really going,” Thorburn said.
Yesenia Robles: yrobles@denverpost.com
