Leap for Life featured in The Oakland Press Blog

01 Sep Leap for Life featured in The Oakland Press Blog

As seen in The Oakland Press Blog, September 1, 2011

Save a Life, Take a Leap

Sometimes, in order to make a difference in life, you need to just jump right in. Or, as in the case of successful lawyer and fitness author, Rick Collins, JD, CSCS, you need to take a leap…right out of an airplane. Collins will be taking his fight against cancer to the sky for the third consecutive year when he jumps from an airplane at an altitude of 13,500 feet during the weekend of September 24-25, 2011 as part of his skydive fundraising event, Leap for Life.

A man full of passion and with more than one mission, Collins created Leap for Life to honor a close friend and a loved one who both lost their lives to cancer, as well as to make a statement that personal growth arises from facing and overcoming life’s challenges, including self-imposed fears and insecurities. Collins chose to face his own fear of heights in 2009 by “skydiving for a cause.” Since Collins took that first leap, Leap for Life has raised nearly $60,000 for various cancer charities. This year’s event will raise money for two charities: Alex’s Lemonade Stand –a not-for-profit foundation for childhood cancer and Strength for Life –a not-for-profit organization that provides free fitness programs for those living with cancer to enhance their recovery through exercise.

Collins wanted to share his amazing experience of “skydiving for a cause” with others. In 2010, he invited the world to join forces with him in his fight against cancer by encouraging individuals to help raise money by taking their own “leaps for life” at a skydive center (a.k.a. “drop zone”) near them. “With the help of social media networking and contacts, we recruited 100 people across the country and Canada…many had not jumped before,” he commented in regard to last year’s turnout. Together, they raised $40,000 for The Lance Armstrong Foundation, LIVESTRONG (in 2009, Collins’ solo jump raised $15,000 for the American Cancer Society).

Collins is once again inviting the world to join forces with him in his fight against cancer. If you want to skydive yourself to help raise money, you can go to http://www.leapforlife.org and click the “I Want to Dive” button. Next, you will be able to create your own webpage for friends, family members and co-workers to visit. From here, they can give a donation in support of your jump through a secure server to either Alex’s Lemonade Stand or Strength for Life, or both.

Leap for Life takes place in September this year in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Although the main event takes place September 24th-25th, participants can skydive anytime in September to benefit the Leap for Life causes. If you want to help in the fight against cancer but are not ready to take a leap yourself, you can still offer financial support by visiting the Leap for Life site and clicking on the “I Want to Donate” button. Regardless of how you choose to support Leap for Life, you can rest assured knowing that you are helping to make life a little bit better for everyone.

Leap for Life proves to be a life changing experience for all involved. “It is such an empowering feeling…to let go and do that [jump] because you have to overcome every instinct and fear that is holding you back,” remarked Collins upon reflection of his previous jumps. “Doing your own skydive is the ultimate stepping out of your comfort zone…it’s diving out of your comfort zone. It allows us to continue to grow, expand our boundaries and be more of what we are,” stated Collins.

Collins noted that when you skydive you get an amazing view. “You get to see the curve of the earth at that distance.” What a wonderful sentiment that comes from his comment: In order to make a change for the better, it often requires you to take a new look at an old horizon to realize that the sky really is the limit…..

To learn more about Leap for Life, visit www.leapforlife.org or www.facebook.com/leapforlife. You can also email Rick Collins at [email protected]. To find a “drop zone” near you and to get tips and information on skydiving, visit the United States Parachute Association at www.uspa.org.