Frequently Asked Questions

 
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GENERAL

What is Over the Edge?
 
Over the Edge is a Canada-based special events company that provides signature events for nonprofit organizations anywhere in North America. Participants are invited to raise funds in exchange for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of going over the edge of a local building. In Virginia, the Over the Edge crew handles the technical aspects of the event and United Way recruits rappelers to participate in the event and raise money on their behalf. For more information about Over the Edge USA, please visit www.overtheedgeusa.com.
 
 
How does it work?
 
To go Over the Edge, individual participants must raise a minimum of $1,000. Sponsorship packages are available starting at $1,000. The majority of fundraising is done online through our fundraising portal (Network for Good) but donors are able to give offline donations through cash or checks by giving that form of payment directly to the fundraiser they wish to support.  For more information about incentives, please click here. (Incentive page coming soon)
 
 
Is there a registration fee?
 
Yes, all participants have a $50 registration fee to sign up to go over the edge. This $50 will go towards the over $1,000 minimum required to earn a rappelling spot on Saturday, May 5, 2018.  If rappelers are unable to raise the $1,000, they will be required to pay the remaining balance by April 25, 2018, to secure their rappelling spot.  Toss Your Boss organizations should contact our team at OvertheEdge@uwvp.org before registering, so sponsorship benefits can be discussed.
 
 
Are there incentives to raise more than the minimum $1,000?
 
Yes.  Visit our incentive page to see what other experience are available:  Click Here
 
 
Are there Over the Edge events in other states?
 
Yes, many organizations across the country are hosting Over the Edge events! If you have friends and family in other parts of the country, they can visit www.overtheedgeusa.com to see if there is an event nearby.
 
 
 
What does the money raised with Over the Edge benefit?
 
Over the Edge at the Holiday Inn at City Center benefits United Way of the Virginia Peninsula's (UWVP) mission to disrupt poverty.  UWVP has a goal to decrease poverty in our service area by 10% by 2023.  That means moving nearly 23,000 individuals in a positive direction in the next 5 years.
 
 
I don’t have any experience fundraising; how do I do it?
 
Thanks to our online fundraising portal, you can easily share your Over the Edge endeavor with friends and family near and far! When you register to go Over the Edge you will be prompted to create your own personal fundraising web page. You can add photos and change the text on the page to help encourage your friends and family to support your Over the Edge efforts to benefit United Way of the Virginia Peninsula! 
 
You can also collect offline cash/check donations. Check donations should be made out to United Way of the Virginia Peninsula and include the rappelers name or Toss the Boss company in the memo line of checks.  Please fill out the CASH/CHECK FORM and submit it with your offline donations for it to be credited to your personal fundraising page. Cash and check donations must be postmarked or brought to United Way of the Virginia Peninsula before April 20, 2018. We don’t encourage you to mail cash -- either drop it by our office, get a cashier’s check to mail, or turn it in on event day.
 
Bring or mail your offline donations and cash/check form to:
United Way of the Virginia Peninsula
11820 Fountain Way Suite #206
Newport News, VA 23606
 
 
How do I raise enough money to go Over the Edge?
 
You can collect “online” credit card donations by sending your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers a link to your personal fundraising page that you created when you registered.
 
You can also collect offline cash/check donations. Check donations should be made out to United Way of the Virginia Peninsula and include the rappelers name or Toss the Boss company in the memo line of checks.  Please fill out the CASH/CHECK FORM and submit it with your offline donations for it to be credited to your personal fundraising page. Cash and check donations must be postmarked or brought to United Way of the Virginia Peninsula before April 20, 2018. We don’t encourage you to mail cash -- either drop it by our office, get a cashier’s check to mail, or turn it in on event day.  After April 29, 2018, please hold on to any cash/checks you receive as donations, and bring them when you to check-in on event day.
 
Bring or mail your offline donations and cash/check form to:
United Way of the Virginia Peninsula
11820 Fountain Way Suite #206
Newport News, VA 23606
 
If you have questions about donations or the accounting process, please contact our office: call us- 757-873-9328 or email us: OvertheEdge@uwvp.org.
 
What if someone wants to write a check or donate cash?
 
You can collect offline cash/check donations. Check donations should be made out to United Way of the Virginia Peninsula and include the rappelers name or Toss the Boss company in the memo line of checks.  Please fill out the CASH/CHECK FORM and submit it with your offline donations for it to be credited to your personal fundraising page. Cash and check donations must be postmarked or brought to United Way of the Virginia Peninsula before April 20, 2018. We don’t encourage you to mail cash -- either drop it by our office, get a cashier’s check to mail, or turn it in on event day.  After April 29, 2018, please hold on to any cash/checks you receive as donations, and bring them when you to check-in on event day.
 
Bring or mail your offline donations and cash/check form to:
United Way of the Virginia Peninsula
11820 Fountain Way Suite #206
Newport News, VA 23606
 
 
If you have questions about donations or the accounting process, please contact our office: call us- 757-873-9328 or email us: OvertheEdge@uwvp.org.
 
 
How do I add “offline” (cash/check) donations to my fundraising page?
 
To have your cash/check donations credited to your personal fundraising page, please fill out the CASH/CHECK FORM and bring in or mail your donations to United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. 
Cash and check donations must be postmarked or brought to United Way of the Virginia Peninsula before April 20, 2018. We don’t encourage you to mail cash -- either drop it by our office, get a cashier’s check to mail, or turn it in on event day.  After April 29, 2018, please hold on to any cash/checks you receive as donations, and bring them when you to check-in on event day.
 
Bring or mail your offline donations and cash/check form to:
United Way of the Virginia Peninsula
11820 Fountain Way Suite #206
Newport News, VA 23606
 
Are there incentives to raise more than the minimum $1,000?
 
Yes.  Visit our incentive page to see what other experience are available:  Click Here
 
 
Are donations tax deductible?
 
Yes, online contributions and checks are tax deductible. Network for Good will automatically issue your donors a receipt for their gifts. This receipt can be used as support for a tax deduction. United Way of the Virginia Peninsula will issue receipts to donors contributing by check. Cash donations will not be issued a receipt unless presented on-site on event day.
 
 
What happens if I do not raise at least $1,000?
 
Minimum Fundraising Clause: Each individual participant must reach the minimum $1,000 to go Over the Edge. 
United Way of the Virginia Peninsula will contact you the week of April 23, 2018, to discuss reaching your fundraising goal in time. At this point, we will collect credit card information so if you do not reach the $1,000 minimum, you will be charged the remaining amount or you have the option to opt out altogether.  All funds raised will continue to help our mission to end poverty on the Peninsula. 
 
 
 
Is there a minimum age limit to rappel?
 
No, but minors must have their waiver signed by a consenting parent or guardian and all participants must be between 100-299 pounds.
 
 
Are there weight restrictions to rappel?
 
Yes, participants must be between 100-299 pounds to safely fit into the harness equipment.
 
 
What should I wear when I rappel?
 
You’re going to be walking down the side of the building so wear good shoes. No sandals, slip-on shoes, slippers, flip flops, high heels or steel-toed boots are permitted. Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. The harness goes around your legs, waist, and shoulders, so it is best to avoid anything too bulky. Long hair must be tied back. You will be given a pair of gloves and a helmet to wear while you rappel.
 
 
Can I rappel with a camera or other valuables?
 
We constantly worry about objects being dropped over the side, so personal cameras or GoPros are not permitted. 
We will have professional photographers on the roof and you'll receive the images after the event.
On event day, you will check-in droppable items like keys and cell phones, or jewelry that can get caught on things. No phones are allowed on the roof!
 
 
Who else is going Over the Edge?
 
Click Here to see a list of rappelers registered to go Over the Edge to help in poverty on the Peninsula. 
 
 
 
Is Over the Edge safe?
 
Absolutely! Over the Edge has never had a single incident or accident at any event since their inception in 2003. Every Over the Edge event is set up as an industrial worksite and as a result is compliant with all federal and state OSHA Fall Protection Standards and OSHA Federal and State Laws. Further to this, our policies and procedures adhere to the best practices identified by IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association) counsel. This counsel is a strict regulatory body that has regimented guidelines and safety protocols that far exceed the OSHA, Workers Compensation and state labor codes. To read more about safety, visit the Over the Edge site.
 
 
 
Who will be setting up the rappel gear and what qualifications do they have?
 
All members of the Over the Edge technical team are IRATA and SPRAT certified industrial rope access technicians. We also rely on the help of volunteers from local fire departments, SWAT teams, and AMGA Guides to assist with the ropes. All have extensive training in areas like rope rescue and/or are instructors in rope rescue or climbing.
 
 
 
How old are the ropes? When are they inspected and by whom?
 
The Over the Edge technical team regularly orders new ropes. They are inspected by our qualified technical staff at the start and end of each event. During the event, safety checks are performed for each person before they rappel, and every 2 1/2 hours the team re-inspects all the rigging.
 
 
Do I get to practice before the big rappel?
 
Yes! You will have the opportunity to practice before your big rappel. This practice session will help you get used to the harness, rappel device and technique for descending the building!
 
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Special Needs

We can accommodate almost all special needs. In saying that however, we will need to know the details of their needs beforehand in order to properly prepare. Some special needs (such as a wheelchair rappel for example) require specific gear to be shipped in additionally with our regular gear. Please note that some special needs rappels take up more than 1 Edger spot. Here are some general guidelines: 
 
 
LIMITED USE OF LIMB/PROSTHETIC: If the individual has limited use of an extremity, they may still be able to lower themselves under their own power. If that is the case, this may only require a small modification to the equipment or rigging. This can also hold true for individuals who are missing a limb or have a prosthetic. Prosthetics will need to be attached in a way that there is no chance that they can come off the individual during the rappel. In special circumstances, the prosthetics can always be tethered. In the event the individual has limited mobility, considerations will also need to be made with regards to access, edge negotiation and egress. This may or may not require an additional Edger spot. 
 
INDIVIDUALS WITH PHYSICAL OR INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES: We have had fantastic experiences on ropes with individuals with different kinds of physical and intellectual disabilities. Our experience has been that either the individuals themselves or their caregivers, know exactly what they need in order to be successful. Usually, the process starts with a conversation to clearly outline expectations. Oftentimes individuals only require some additional coaching. Other times, one of our technicians may choose to rappel with the individual to give them coaching or assist during the rappel. This may or may not require an additional Edger spot.

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Thank you to our sponsors

       


Didn't find the answer to your question?  Contact us and a team member will be in touch soon.
Call us: 757-873-9328
Email us: OvertheEdge@uwvp.org