Going over the edge in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Drivers on their way to work in Grand Rapids were doing double takes Friday morning as folks in harnesses gave them a free show.

Griff, from the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team was wearing some extra gear as he helped to kick-off an extreme fundrasier to raise money for Michigan Community Blood Centers. The money will benefit its marrow/stem cell and cord blood programs, giving cancer patients a better shot at survival.

Newschannel 3 was there on the roof of Grand Rapids' tallest building as rappellers strapped in to help save lives.

Forget baked goods or silent auctions, this is an adventure 32 stories in the air.

"Some people do it simply for the thrill. Some people do it for the challenge, but it's definitely a once in a lifetime experience," said Jonathan Graham, the Technical Officer at Over the Edge.

For a $1,000 donation, you can experience the rush too.

"It was a little scary," said rappeler Gary Strehlke. "Nice thing is you can see the reflection of the whole city from the window so I really didn't have to look back. I did stop a little bit, I'm a little sore."

The soreness seems a small price to pay for raising money for programs like research, storage and recruitment of cord blood and stem cells. The Michigan Community Blood Centers is a non-profit, it banks on donations so that it can continue to offer services to 22 area hospitals.

Nikki Outhier, the Development Director for Michigan Community Blood Centers said that "each cord blood unit is a thousand dollars just to freeze and store, and of course the more units we have it storage, the easier it is to make a match."

With safety experts at Over the Edge providing ropes and reassurance nearly 80 donors are already on Saturday's list of rappellers, that's easily $80,000 raised from a rooftop.

Saturday's event for donors runs from 10 am to 6 pm.