| I am a great believer in volunteer work and | | | | $15,000. As far as future fundraising |
| dedicating time and effort to the greater | | | | projects are concerned, she mentioned the |
| good. Corporate responsibility embodies this | | | | Night of 100 Adventures, a gala dinner to be |
| spirit on the business side. In our modern | | | | held in October of 2006 that will feature |
| cities and developed nations we often dont | | | | entertainment and food from all over the |
| realize how lucky we are and that there are | | | | world. 50 trips will be given away by G.A.P |
| millions of people who have it nowhere near | | | | Adventures. |
| as good as we do. | | | | |
| | | | Of course I also wanted to know more about |
| One organization that is very aware of the | | | | skydiving itself, so I asked to meet an |
| conditions of people around the world is | | | | expert on this high-adrenaline activity. Tony |
| G.A.P Adventures, Canadas largest adventure | | | | Cooke, a sales supervisor with G.A.P |
| travel company. With hundreds of adventure | | | | Adventures, has been on the Board of |
| travel offerings to continents like Latin | | | | Directors of SWOOP, which is a non-profit |
| America, Asia and Africa, the people at G.A.P | | | | member-owned skydiving club. At present there |
| are very informed about the situation of | | | | are about 60 to 70 members, and all funds |
| communities in many countries. G.A.P | | | | generated from non-members are rolled back |
| Adventures founder, Bruce Poon Tip, went as | | | | into the club to cover operating expenses and |
| far as setting up a special non-profit | | | | equipment maintenance. |
| organization, Planeterra, to address some of | | | | |
| these needs and make a difference in the | | | | SWOOP is the closest drop zone to Toronto and |
| lives of people and communities around the | | | | is one of the oldest member-run skydiving |
| world. | | | | club in all of Canada. Tony explained that |
| | | | SWOOP offers three different types of first |
| Today Planeterra operates community projects | | | | jump experiences: |
| in countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Costa | | | | |
| Rica, Peru, Bolivia, Belize, Honduras, | | | | - P.F.F.: the Progressive Free Fall is a |
| Ecuador, Chile and Cuba. These projects | | | | training intensive jump and the first jump is |
| include indigenous learning centres, literacy | | | | actually level 1 of a Seven Level freefall |
| and computer training programs, weaving | | | | training program, leading to a full license |
| projects to teach indigenous women valuable | | | | as a skydiver. |
| marketable skills, homes for abandoned | | | | |
| children and many more. G.A.P Adventures pays | | | | - I.A.D. is the traditional way of making a |
| all administration fees for these projects | | | | first jump which involves 5 hours of ground |
| and has made a commitment to matching all | | | | training and a solo jump from 3500 feet. |
| donations dollar-for-dollar, so all funds are | | | | |
| going to these important causes and the money | | | | - Tandem jumps are some of the most popular |
| donated is in fact doubled. | | | | ways of jumping for the first time. Ground |
| | | | training only takes about 30 minutes, and |
| G.A.P uses all sorts of creative ways to | | | | students jump with a highly skilled and |
| generate funds for these humanitarian | | | | certified Jumpmaster. The jump starts at |
| projects and just this past May I had a | | | | 10,500 feet and includes 35 seconds of |
| chance to attend a very entertaining | | | | freefall at speeds of more than 120 miles per |
| fundraising event: Ignite the Night, an | | | | hour. |
| evening full of astounding performances and | | | | |
| acrobatics. The performers from Zero Gravity | | | | Tony explained that every parachute has a |
| Circus put on a magnificent spectacle for an | | | | pilot chute which acts as a deployment system |
| enthusiastic crowd of almost 500 people. In | | | | for the parachute and drags out the main |
| total about $20,000 were raised in this one | | | | canopy. SWOOP uses fully steerable canopies |
| event alone. | | | | that actually resemble semi-rigid aircrafts. |
| | | | The club has three small airplanes to take |
| Well, the creativity of the fundraisers at | | | | jumpers up to the right altitude and it has |
| Planeterra is virtually unlimited and this | | | | one of the best safety records in the world. |
| past Saturday, July 8, they held a rather | | | | As a matter of fact, Tony emphasized that |
| interesting event to raise money: the 3rd | | | | safety is number one at SWOOP, evidenced by |
| Annual Skydive Event. 40 people who collected | | | | the fact that the club has never had a |
| pledges in excess of $250 got to experience | | | | fatality. Its mandate is to promote the sport |
| skydiving and G.A.P Adventures paid for the | | | | of skydiving, all the while giving top |
| jump fees. A barbecue and bonfire were also | | | | priority to safety. |
| included. | | | | |
| | | | My next conversation partner was Danielle |
| This was an event I wanted to see, so I drove | | | | Weiss, who is in charge of the Planeterra |
| out into the country town of Dundas, about 45 | | | | Foundation. She said that these days she |
| minutes west of Toronto. By the time I got | | | | focuses mostly on Planeterra and on planning |
| there mid-morning the skydiving activities | | | | new volunteer tours. In addition to two |
| were in full swing. I was really curious | | | | existing volunteer tours to Peru and |
| about what skydiving is like so I approached | | | | Guatemala, ten additional destinations will |
| one of the skydivers to tell me about their | | | | be available in the upcoming year, including |
| experience. Fresh off the landing area I | | | | volunteer trips to Patagonia, Costa Rica and |
| caught up with Andy Zimmerman, who is in | | | | Zambia. In several of these tours the |
| charge of promotions and marketing at Y108, | | | | participants will pay for their own tour and |
| Hamiltons country music radio station. | | | | fundraise $1000 for Planeterra. After the |
| | | | trekking experience the tour participants |
| Andy shared with me that training for his | | | | will visit an actual Planeterra project to |
| tandem jump started at 8 am. All the students | | | | see first-hand where some of their funds are |
| had to watch a training video and then to | | | | going. |
| practice exiting the plane in a mock-up of a | | | | |
| plane cabin where the exit procedure was | | | | Danielle is also currently working on a |
| rehearsed. He commented that as he left the | | | | partnership with Habitat for Humanity which |
| plane strapped on to his instructor Ahmed a | | | | may have G.A.P staff participate in a |
| thought was flashing through his mind: What | | | | day-long charity build in Toronto while G.A.P |
| am I doing here? That thought was quickly | | | | travellers may have the opportunity to help |
| replaced by exhilaration as he experienced | | | | build homes for needy families in |
| about 45 seconds of free falling which he | | | | international destinations. Recently Danielle |
| describes as an awesome, surreal experience. | | | | came back from a month-long trip to South |
| He said the plane took about 20 minutes to | | | | America including Mexico, Guatemala, Belize |
| reach 10,000 feet and you could even see | | | | and Honduras. For the first part of the trip |
| Buffalo, New York, from the air! He said he | | | | she led a volunteer tour in Guatemala where |
| would do it again, any time, it was just a | | | | they were working on a well drilling project |
| fantastic experience. | | | | to supply water to the local community. The |
| | | | G.A.P travelers also helped build and paint a |
| Next I caught up with a female jumper, Britt | | | | school. The travel group included a medical |
| Buchalle, who indicated that this was her | | | | team which provided a two-day health clinic |
| first jump ever and that she was quite calm | | | | to local residents. |
| during the experience although she felt a | | | | |
| little light-headed towards the end. She had | | | | Danielle is now assisted by Elinor, who |
| never been on a small airplane and the ride | | | | handles fundraising, and a new team member: |
| was actually better than expected. Once in | | | | Liz Manning is the sustainable tourism |
| the air she really enjoyed the scenery and | | | | assistant. I had a brief chat with Liz and as |
| the feeling of weightlessness. Britt also | | | | a graduate of the International Development |
| mentioned that she is originally from Germany | | | | Program at Dalhousie University, Liz herself |
| and has only been in Toronto for a short | | | | has a great interest in community |
| while. She really loves the city and its | | | | development. She has travelled with her |
| multicultural flair. Britt actually works for | | | | parents since she was a child and |
| G.A.P Adventures in their Global Connections | | | | participated in the General Assembly of the |
| subsidiary which provides airline tickets for | | | | United Nations as part of the 1991 World |
| individual travelers and G.A.P tour | | | | Childrens Committee. Liz has also volunteered |
| participants at greatly discounted prices. | | | | on the island of Nevis and spent an intense |
| | | | summer program at the University of Havana, |
| Since I wanted to find out what is new at | | | | studying Cubas history, culture and |
| G.A.P Adventures I connected with Kira Zack | | | | socio-political system. In Malawi in |
| who handles marketing and communications for | | | | South-East Africa Liz studied community based |
| G.A.P. She informed me that Bruce Poon Tip is | | | | orphan care. |
| currently in Quito, Ecuador, where he has | | | | |
| been participating at the inaugural United | | | | Since starting with G.A.P Adventures Liz |
| Nations World Tourism Organization Seminar on | | | | responsibilities include greening the office, |
| Ethics in Tourism in Quito, Ecuador. Buce had | | | | i.e. sourcing environmentally friendly |
| been invited to participate as a guest of the | | | | products including natural hand and dish |
| Prince of Wales International Business | | | | soaps, as well as finding ways of reducing |
| Leaders Forum, founded in 1990 by Prince | | | | paper consumption around the office. This has |
| Charles to generate long-term awareness about | | | | meant moving away as much as possible from |
| corporate responsibility and sustainability. | | | | faxes to email. In addition, G.A.P is now |
| Conference participants included | | | | buying its electricity from Bullfrog Power, |
| representatives from national and local | | | | Ontarios first green energy company. Bullfrog |
| governments, industry and tourism | | | | customers pay more money in order to purchase |
| associations and various NGOs. | | | | electricity from green sources. Staff will |
| | | | also be educated with regard to green power |
| Just recently, G.A.P Adventures received the | | | | and environmentally sustainable decision |
| 2006 Global Traders Market Expansion Award, | | | | making. |
| which honours the most innovative and | | | | |
| successful small and medium-sized Ontario | | | | Marine tourism is another one of Liz |
| business leaders and exporters. Kira also | | | | responsibilities. She works with the crew of |
| pointed out that G.A.P Adventures is | | | | the Explorer cruise ship on an environmental |
| sponsoring the Toronto International Circus | | | | education program. This includes an open |
| Festival which will be held from July 14 to | | | | house at departure time as well as fair trade |
| 16 at Torontos historic Distillery District. | | | | products in G.A.Ps on-ship store. Many of the |
| Admission at the festival will be free of | | | | products for sale are made by members of the |
| charge, but attendees will have a chance to | | | | community programs that G.A.P supports |
| make a donation to Planeterra. | | | | through its Planeterra non-profit |
| | | | organization. |
| I also caught up with Elinor Schwob, the | | | | |
| fundraising coordinator at Planeterra. Elinor | | | | I left the SWOOP skydiving location at about |
| had also done a skydive earlier this morning, | | | | 1 pm to head back to Toronto. Skydiving was |
| actually she was the first jumper out of the | | | | in full swing and everyone was having a ton |
| plane! She admitted she also asked herself | | | | of fun.Burgers were sizzling on the grill, |
| What am I doing? Elinor mentioned that during | | | | puppies were playing in the grass, and later |
| the free fall it is actually quite hard to | | | | on there would be a big barbecue and a |
| breathe since the air whizzes by so quickly | | | | campfire for the folks that would be staying |
| and she describes the free fall as more of a | | | | overnight in tents. This is a great example |
| floating feeling than a dropping feeling. She | | | | of combining charity work with having fun for |
| also indicated that Planeterras goal was to | | | | organizers, volunteers and participants |
| raise about $10,000 with this skydiving | | | | alike. That's how a fundraising event becomes |
| charity event, but from initial tallies the | | | | a win-win situation for everyone involved. |
| total funds raised would be much closer to | | | | |