Imagine you’re gazing at the Orlando skyline from over 400 feet up, you’re strapped into a harness, and your heart is pounding as you prepare to step off the roof and rappel to the ground.

Sounds a bit daunting, right?

That’s what’s in store for more than 60 brave souls who, on February 9, will go Over The Edge for Give Kids The World! As part of the Village’s most extreme fundraiser ever, they’ll rappel down the side of the 32-story Hyatt Regency Orlando to help make dreams come true for critically-ill kids and their families.

One of those daredevils is Wendy Clarke, a longtime Village volunteer. Since 2012, Wendy has helped in our Character Program, Engineering Department and Guest Services. She loves to share our mission with friends, family, and “anyone who will listen.”

“I talk about Give Kids The World all the time,” said Wendy. “I had to do something big to show what the Village really means to me.”

Joining Wendy will be the Village’s own Thomas Stark. Thomas normally spends his days working in the Memory Market, but on Friday, he’ll be dangling from a rope a few hundred feet in the air.

Wendy and Thomas each hit their fundraising goals for Over The Edge. And there’s something else they have in common, too: They’re both terrified of heights.

But both said they draw courage from the brave children who visit Give Kids The World.

“It’s nothing compared to what the kids at the Village have to face,” Thomas said. “Kids and their families are so grateful for what we do, and that makes this seem a little less scary.”

For more information on Over The Edge, click here.