Jump Start 09 – Well done everyone
by Admin. ~ March 16th, 2009. Filed under: News.
On the 15th March 2009, Jump Start was completed successfully. This also marks its third year since inception.
Bad weather saw the event postponed from Saturday 14th to Sunday the 15th. This call proved ‘spot on’ as Sunday’s weather saw clear blue skies with light winds, allowing us to fully complete the event without a hitch.
The event was hosted by RNZAF Base, Auckland and again 50 Courageous teenagers from Project K & CanTeen took up the challenge for a tandem skydive experience from the RNZAF C130 Hercules.
The Jump Start program is a unique charity event that asks the skydiving community & the general public to help raise money to sponsor the teenagers in the Jump Start program. Jump Start is very unique in its organization, as it involves such a huge group of civilian and military skydivers all working together as a “team”. Jump Start effectively provides the participants in the program with a sense of confidence and achievement un-paralleled by any other activity.
This year Jump Start awarded its key working crews with the Anahera award. Key personnel were awarded the Jump Start Anahera Wings, and all earning high respect among their peers – Anahera- (Maori meaning ‘angel’)
Special thanks to all of those involved at every level. Your support to this event is a fine example of how individuals can make a difference in the lives of others.
Tim Fastnedge.
Director
March 17th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Well done everyone! This year ran smoother than the last two and I get the feeling everyone is now in the groove when it comes to working with us military types. We look forward to round four next year!
March 17th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
great day guys loved it my son loved it thanks so much for running this programme. You truly make a difference.
March 17th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
This was the MOST amazing thing we’ve done. It is an unexplainable feeling. Embrace the fear, take the step and enjoy the fall.
Thanks to all the tandom masters and cameramen for their encouragement and support.
The organisers ran a smooth operation and made it look easy. Thanks for the great opportunity.
Thanks from, Larissa, Caleb, Anna, Zoe and Andrew.
March 18th, 2009 at 10:34 am
On behalf of CanTeen Members and staff across the country… a huge thanks to all who made such an awesome contribution to make this event happen! CanTeen jumpers will be fizzing for a long time. It is truly a special thing you have all done to make a difference in these people’s lives.
Warm regards,
Brad Clark, Marketing Manager CanTeen
March 18th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Dear Tim and the Jump Start Committee,
Once again I would like to convey on behalf of CanTeen our great thanks to you, and all those involved in making Jump Start 2009 an absolute success! We feel very privileged to be part of such a fabulous and life changing event for our members.
The vibe on Sunday was fantastic, the tandem masters made our members feel relaxed (as they could be!) and I would say they all had ‘the experience of being alive’ and showed great elation and high levels of personal achievement once back on the ground. Through the grape vine I am hearing that many members are yet to lose their smiles (one is even looking into how to take the sport up!), thank you for making that possible for them.
Thank you for all the hours you have put in coordinating what I have witnessed is a highly logistical operation. I hope you had a few drinks to celebrate when we departed – you and the team surely deserved it.
I would also like to acknowledge the cheque which Jump Start kindly presented to CanTeen, this donation to our organisation is highly appreciated and really topped off a superb day.
I now have a photo up in my office of the mighty Herc soaring through the sky, with one of our members falling from it; it is a constant reminder of the event, and the generosity of the Jump Start committee, the Air Force and everybody involved in making it all happen.
THANK YOU
Jarnia (on behalf of CanTeen)
March 19th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Awesome, Thanks!
March 20th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Hi Tim,
Once again a brilliant event. Your organising skills are now legendry.
A great effort.
Gwyn
March 23rd, 2009 at 8:21 am
Hi Guys
That’s great feedback indeed. Well done to the JS team for a top effort!
The Matamata crew all enjoyed the day and the interesting and amazing people we met and jumped with. Also good to catch up with some old skydiving friends from around NZ. Jumping with people whose lives have been affected by cancer or and have a skydive on their “bucket list” is indeed a privilege and this certainly puts our own lives into perspective.
We also know just how much work needs to be done behind the scenes to make it all happen, so once again well done to all those on the Jumpstart team
Cheers
(Eric and team from Skydive Waikato)
March 25th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Hi All,
So many amazing people have worked so hard to make Jumpstart happen and it is such a privilege to be one of the recipients alongside CanTeen. Not only did our young people have the most amazing experience and opportunity but I also made some new friends. It was a wonderful day all around and we at Project K want to THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!
Regards Jacinda Sleeman
Project K
May 21st, 2009 at 7:03 pm
JUMPSTART!!!!!!!!!! 09
Well…. Goodness knows what we were all thinking when we said yes, perhaps we thought it was even a good idea, but then throwing yourself out of a plane at 10,000 feet does sound like fun until its time to jump. It all started on the Friday afternoon for 5 very excited CanTeeners from NSI. Myself, Haley, Letisha, and Aeronwy were joined by Chris M from Nelson when we arrived in Auckland airport. We found out just after arriving that the jump was postponed due to bad weather, however with Sunday being a spare day incase this happened and the chance to go to Rainbows End as well as jumping seemed to good to be true. This was so much fun, in between the rollercoaster, powersurge, gold rush and pirate ship some CanTeeners treated the fear fall as training for the jump the following day going in excess of 20 times…After a nice dinner at a pizza restaurant that night we found out the next day was a go… and the nerves started. The next day dawned bright and beautiful and it was all go to get checked out and to the airfield in time to jump. No CanTeeners were jumping until the afternoon and I was in the 2nd plane to go up. After my name was called I went to meet my jump master and photographer who would be jumping with me. There was a brief safety talk and then I was helped into my jumpsuit and straps were tightened although not tight enough for my liking. Then it was photo time with funny poses and onto the plane, with no turning back now. Earplugs in and up we went, I could see the altimeter slowly creeping up as we were all strapped to our masters for the tandem jump. 11,000 feet and the ramp at the back of the plane goes down… you see the ground below you… tiny tiny little houses…. Wind roaring past you… Your stomach turns… what were you thinking!!!! To late now though as your jumpmaster and photographer are slowly walking you to the ramp…. You see Letica go over, Haley digs her heels in but then disappears also. Then BAM with no time to think your gone, you tumble like a rag doll flipping all over the place, after a few seconds you steady out and pick up momentum on your way down and all the while your screams are being captured on camera for you to relive. After what seemed like forever but was only 40ish seconds your freefall ends and this truly is the most amazing experience, you simply float over the world, I felt more alive than I’d ever felt in my life and with a few sharp and interesting turns my feet were safely back on solid earth. This truly was the most amazing thing I’ve ever had the opportunity to experience. A massive thank you to everyone who made it possible, to CanTeen and all the amazing staff that were there, to the RNZAF for organizing and the use of there equipment. To all the jump masters for taking there time and money to give us the chance of a lifetime. To all the photographers who also gave there time for our benefit. And to Rainbows End who let us enjoy there rides for FREE!! I really do encourage any members that ever get the chance to do this to give it there all and have a blast, conquer your fears, and LIVE LIFE!
James