Edmontonians took to the roof of a downtown hotel on Saturday for a good cause. The annual Wellspring Alberta Skyline Rush Challenge sends participants rappelling 240 feet down the Courtyard Edmonton Downtown Hotel to fundraise for cancer support programs and services. Aside from his commitment to the charity, local musician Curtis Sagmeister was rappelling on Saturday to redefine what being in a wheelchair can mean. “People with disabilities are usually limited not by their disability, but by other people’s limitations that they place on those people … A lot of people, they’ll see the wheelchair first and me second,” he said before his venture down the side of the building. “I’m not nervous. Nervous is a negative thing. I’m excited. It’s kind of the same energy, just the other side of it.” Volunteers were hard at work ensuring he was able to get himself over the ledge and safely back into his wheelchair on the ground. “These wheels ain’t chains. They’re my wings. They let me do stuff.” Many rappellers, who call the event a “bucket list experience,” had their own reasons for taking on the challenge. Wellspring Alberta holds a main cancer treatment centre in Edmonton that works to provide more than 70 free, professionally led programs for those facing cancer and their families or caregivers. “These programs aren’t free by magic or chance. They’re powered by people like you in the stands. Every dollar you raise, each pledge that you make, keeps the lights on at Wellspring,” Sara Hart, the incoming chair of the organization, told the crowd on Saturday. Organizer Rory O’Neill said the fundraiser is also meant to let people know they’re not alone. “We know that over 23,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Alberta a year, and we also know that cancer doesn’t necessarily stay in the hospital. It comes home with you, affects every part of your life, your mental health, your family life, your professional life,” he said. “Nobody has to face cancer alone, and that’s what we’re all about.” He had nothing but praise for people like Sagmeister, who was visibly emotional after his trip down the building but didn’t face it alone. “This has all been about teamwork … I feel excited still,” he said. “I’m ready for a nap, though.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum
