In September 2025, my friend Sally suggested I check out a job opening at Adoption Network Cleveland, an organization that she'd worked for in the past. "I think you'd like it there," she said as she texted me the link to the application.
Curious to learn more, I went to ANC's social media and could barely believe what I was seeing -- there was the Executive Director Betsie Norris with a huge grin on her face as she got ready to rappel down the Browns stadium.
Wait, what???
I soon learned that there was a method to the madness -- that Betsie was participating in the organization's first Over The Edge urban rappelling event. But little did I know that approximately one year later, I would be the one smiling on ANC's social media at our second year doing this adventurous fundraiser.
That's all because I followed Sally's advice and applied for the job she'd sent me -- and was the one fortunate enough to be selected. That's how I suddenly became not only someone who worked at an organization that had an urban rappelling fundraiser, I became the person in-charge of the urban rappelling fundraiser!
Along with my wonderful colleague Patricia Hughes, we spent many months partnering with the team from Over The Edge as well as the team from our host location, 1300 E. 9th Street, to bring our event to life. By the time August 22 came around, we had 50 brave rappellers being supported by a crew of absolutely awesome volunteers as well as the very kind and highly skilled Over The Edge techs.
While each rappeller has their own story to share, I thought I'd take a moment to share my own!
First of all, I am NOT an Adventure Girl. I have friends who skydive and rock climb and ski and ride motorcycles and all kinds of things like that. I am typically the one who is there to cheer them on but not partake.
So what made me step out of my comfort zone to take on this challenge with Adoption Network Cleveland? For me, it was embracing two of our core values -- COURAGE and TRUST. It takes immense courage to show up to that first meeting or ask for help. It takes a great deal of trust to share your story with others and know they will support you and be there for you in a meaningful way. What better living metaphor for these values could there be than being part of Over The Edge?
That realization, for me, came later when I sat down to write my blurb on my individual fundraising page about why I was taking on this challenge. The initial reason I decided to be an Adventure Girl for at least one day of my life was the view from the roof! It was stunning -- I knew right away I wanted to be part of this experience and got started on my fundraising that day, reaching (and exceeding) my goal less than a week later.
Finally, the morning of August 22 came around. Not only was I in-charge of the day's logistics, I also had to get myself in the mindset of a rappeller! Patricia and I were in a group with ANC's Board Chair Eamon Larkin. We started by meeting with the Over The Edge tech Matt who, along with a volunteer, helped us get into our safety gear.
After we were suited up, it was time to head up to the roof!
Another volunteer, Amy, served as our guide, showing us the way to the elevator and then up the steps that would lead us out to the roof. From there, we met with another Over The Edge tech Kitty who walked us through some basic instructions on how to use the rappelling gear. She went one by one with each of us let us test the gear out, making sure we were comfortable before joyfully sending us over to wait our turn to be on The Edge.
Patricia, Eamon, and I were the second group of the morning, so we had a few minutes to wait while everyone in that group had their turn. That gave us some time to take in our surroundings, enjoy the view, chat with the volunteers on the roof, and see the group before us get ready to make their way to the ground.
Then, finally, it was our turn! Eamon had gone before us while Patricia and I lined up, one at each of the two ropes. We are so fortunate this year to have two Fearless Leaders event sponsors, so Patricia was preparing to rappel down the NRP Group rope while I was going to use the Ken Ganley Automotive Group rope.
There were a few Rope Volunteers at each rope, working alongside the third and final Over The Edge tech Kevin who moved back and forth between the two ropes to do final safety checks before rappellers began to make their way down. Each rope also had a volunteer photographer who was also in safety gear that would allow them to get photos of each rappeller as they made their way to the ground.
When it was my turn to step up, the Rope Volunteers (mine were Robin and Virginia) assisted in getting me into position, double checking all of my safety gear before asking me to move my heels back to The Edge. Kevin came to do yet another safety check and when all signs were a go, they asked me to lean back (that's the photo you see along with this post!) before taking that first step down the wall.
The rappelling gear is relatively simple use, but I will admit it took me a few steps to get into a rhythm with it. In addition to the main gear, there was also a backup safety gear that would lock, should I be going too fast. In the event of that backup gear locking, Kitty (reinforced by Kevin, Robin, and Virginia) showed me the arm signal that would let the techs know I needed their assistance. Fortunately, I kept my pace steady enough that I never needed to unlock the backup safety gear -- but it made me feel great knowing it was an option!
As I slowly and steadily made my way down the wall, I will admit I felt a bit emotional as I heard both the Rope Volunteers and Kevin cheering for me as well as the crowd on the ground. Each rappeller had the chance to write a short bio for the emcee to read and also to pick a song for the DJ to play. I was pleasantly surprised that I could hear the words I'd written be shared with the spectators as my songs began to play.
Here's my bio and song selections:
Sarah has to start with a shout out to her friend Sally who suggested, about a year ago, that she apply for an open position at Adoption Network Cleveland. Curious about the organization, Sarah checked out their social media and saw that they were doing an urban rappelling event at the Browns stadium. Wait, what???? Sarah was intrigued and decided to apply for the role – and the rest is history! Now here she is, doing something she never thought she’d ever do in her entire life: rappelling down a 255-foot building in Downtown Cleveland. Life is a funny thing, isn’t it?
When she’s not rappelling down the side of 255-foot buildings in Downtown Cleveland, she is listening to Tom Hamilton call Cleveland Guardians games on the radio, taking walks in gorgeous Lakeview Cemetery, and spending as much time as humanly possible with her nephews Landon, Christian, and Brayden and her nieces Betty, Eleanor, and Violet. She also wants to #HumbleBrag that she has a daily writing practice that she began on January 1, 2011. Today will be her 5,713th day in a row to write something unique. Wonder what she’ll write about today! (Any guesses??)
Sarah currently serves as the Director of Development and Communications for Adoption Network Cleveland.
SONG CHOICES:
“Joy” by Rita Ora
“Tell Me Baby” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
The whole time Patricia and I made our way down our ropes, the crowd stayed engaged, cheering for us and encouraging our progress. I glanced over at my friend a few times and felt comforted seeing a familiar face right beside me. I remembered the advice Virginia had given me to make sure to look around and take it all in. I continued to feel emotional that I was walking down the side of this 20-story building on this stunning Saturday morning in Cleveland, Ohio. I thought about the two songs I'd picked and how I felt the JOY of the moment.
You bring me joy, bring me joy, bring me joy (yeah)
Oh, there's music in the moment if you listen
You tell me how to love and count my blessings, yeah
You open up my heart, and then you serenade my soul
I thought about my story and Patricia's and I thought about the story of every person who was there to witness, to participate, to be part of this moment.
Tell me baby
What's your story?
Where you come from
And where you wanna go this time
I thought about courage -- and I thought about trust.
One step at a time, I made my way down all 255 feet of 1300 E. 9th Street on the morning of August 22, 2026. I did it. I landed to applause from the crowd, who had remained supportive during the entire experience.
From there, the rope volunteers on the ground -- the belay team -- helped me reacclimate in the landing zone before I cleared the area so the next rappeller could begin. From there, I returned my safety gear, hugged my friend Sarah who came to cheer me on, and went inside to Good Grace's to get the biggest cold brew they had on offer.
People have asked if it was scary at all -- and honestly, it was not. The Over The Edge techs made everything so seamless and comfortable. No one rushed me. They answered my questions. They showed me how to work the gear and third and fourth time if I needed them to. And once I got started moving down the wall, it was all a matter of looking up and walking backwards.
Easy stuff.
As our day went on, there were two rain delays that paused our event temporarily. There was also a Browns preseason game that meant there were extra onlookers around most of the day, wondering what we were up to. A massive flock of cyclists went by at one point, too -- one of them turned out to be my friend Mark who told me later he'd seen our event as he biked by. There was a party atmosphere, a sense of awe for the braver rappellers, and smiles on every face taking it all in.
It was, without a doubt, a day I will never forget.
Who knows, maybe I'll even do it again next year -- stay tuned to find out!
In the meantime, I am happy I decided to become Adventure Girl for a Day. You better believe every time I go past 1300 E. 9th, I will be telling the story about the time I walked down the side of it, the living and breathing embodiment of Courage and Trust.
Our fundraiser page is STILL LIVE if you'd like to support this year's campaign: Go Over The Edge with Adoption Network Cleveland by Adoption Network Cleveland
Thank you to the staff at 1300 E. 9th, especially Shari and Steve. Thank you to our Over The Edge techs Kevin, Kitty, and Matt as well as additional OTE staff help from Wendy.
Thank you to our event sponsors Ken Ganley Automotive Group, the NRP Group, the Cleveland Browns, United Church of Christ, KeyBank, Vantage Financial, Cavitch Familo & Durkin, RPM, and Weston Hurd as well as Cleveland Bagel Cafe, Streamline Printing, Phyt for Function, and Southern Tier Brewing Co.
