How Canines for Disabled Kids found an event as unique as the people they serve.
The first time Over The Edge came knocking, the answer was simple:
No.
“We just weren’t ready,” recalls Kristin Hartness, Executive Director of Canines for Disabled Kids (CDK). “The timing wasn’t right, and we weren’t in a position to say yes.”
Fortunately, the opportunity came around a second time.
This time, the answer changed everything.
Looking for Something Different
They had already tried the traditional route.
Golf outings.
Wine dinners.
The events everyone expects.
“Our donors just didn’t respond to those the way we hoped,” Kristin says. “They’ve always gravitated toward experiences that are a little different.”
Different, after all, is part of CDK’s DNA.
From glow-in-the-dark miniature golf to beer-and-dessert pairings, their supporters love experiences that are memorable, unexpected, and fun.
“So when Over The Edge came back around,” Kristin says, “I thought…this is us.”
More Than a Fundraiser
For Kristin, this event was never just about dollars.
Yes, every nonprofit needs funding.
But awareness came first.
“I didn’t go to the community asking for money,” she explains. “I went to them with a challenge.”
That challenge?
Trust the equipment.
Trust the process.
Step outside your comfort zone.
The same way children with disabilities and the service dogs who change their lives learn to trust the tools that help them navigate the world every day.
Instead of leading with a fundraising pitch, Over The Edge gave CDK something even more valuable: a conversation starter.
“When people ask what our organization does, I tell them, ‘Well…we rappel off buildings.'”
That answer always gets a reaction.
Suddenly people are curious.
Questions turn into conversations.
Conversations turn into awareness.
And awareness eventually becomes support.
Accessibility Isn’t an Afterthought
Kristin wanted an event where participants with disabilities weren’t separated into special time slots or treated differently.
She wanted everyone participating together.
That’s exactly what happened.
Over the years, participants have included people with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, diabetes, blindness, and wheelchair users. One board member now rappels in a Bosun chair with the support of the Over The Edge technical team.
“Nobody feels like they’re holding anyone up,” Kristin says. “It’s simply, ‘You’re next. How do you need to go over?'”
It’s a small difference that creates an enormous sense of belonging.
The Moments You Can’t Measure
Ask Kristin about her favorite memory and she doesn’t mention fundraising totals.
She talks about a family.
A young girl had received a service dog through CDK’s scholarship program.
Both of her parents decided to rappel.
As they descended the building, their children stood on the ground shouting at the top of their lungs:
“Go Mom!”
“Go Dad!”
When the parents reached the bottom, they were emotional.
“We could hear them from the roof,” they told Kristin. “We knew exactly which voices were our kids.”
That’s the kind of memory that lasts forever.
Building More Than Awareness
Today, Over The Edge has become much more than an annual fundraiser.
It’s become a community event.
Businesses that never knew CDK now sponsor the event.
Building managers actively ask to host it again after ownership changes.
Local vendors participate.
Fire departments join in.
One participant was so overwhelmed after his first rappel that when Kristin asked how it went, he laughed and admitted:
“I have no idea what just happened.”
The next year he came back.
Then he brought more people.
This year, he won a free rappel and immediately invited his son.
That’s how communities grow.
One story at a time.
Success Doesn’t Always Happen Overnight
Kristin is refreshingly honest about the first event.
“There were only 26 participants,” she says. “I was crying.”
There weren’t enough volunteers.
Everything felt difficult.
But they kept going.
Year after year.
Today?
They’ve reached the point where they have more volunteer interest than they have rope positions.
“I never thought I’d say we had too many rope volunteers.”
Growth didn’t happen because everything was perfect.
It happened because they kept showing up.
Kristin’s Advice
If another nonprofit is wondering whether Over The Edge is worth it, Kristin doesn’t hesitate.
“Do it.”
But she adds one important caveat.
Don’t assume your event has to look like everyone else’s.
“Be creative. Think outside the box. Be open.”
Some organizations focus heavily on fundraising.
Others focus on awareness.
Some fill every rappel spot months in advance.
Kristin keeps registration open until the event is full because she knows saying “yes” to one excited participant today can create ten new supporters tomorrow.
Most importantly, she encourages organizations to lean on the Over The Edge team.
“If you think something can’t happen,” she says, “ask anyway.”
Her experience has been that the answer is usually not “no.”
It’s:
“Let’s figure out how to make it happen.”
Six years after saying yes, Canines for Disabled Kids has built far more than an annual fundraiser.
They’ve built awareness.
Community.
Partnerships.
Conversations.
And perhaps most importantly, they’ve shown that when an event is truly inclusive, adventure belongs to everyone.
