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