Dozens of fundraisers rappel down Atlantic Canada’s tallest office building

The 17th annual Drop Zone fundraiser for Nova Scotians with disabilities took place on Saturday with volunteers rappelling down Atlantic Canada’s tallest office building.

The event was organized by Easter Seals Nova Scotia, a non-profit that provides programs and services to those with disabilities. It advocates for a barrier-free Nova Scotia.

To raise money for the cause, community leaders and fundraisers volunteered to rappel down the 1801 Hollis St. building in Halifax.

The building has 22 stories and is about 280 feet tall. About 40 people took up the challenge.

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One of the participants was local drag queen Diana B. Tease, or Josh Stoodley out-of-drag, who rappelled down in full drag for the first time this year.

“I was inspired to do this cause I wanted to take drag to new places, unconventional places,” said Tease.

They had a goal of raising $1,500 for the cause and hit the mark weeks ago.

“Drag really helped me fundraise. It was shared widely by many drag performers and it helped me reach my goal. It shows the power of drag.”

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Easter Seals CEO Joanne Bernard said on Saturday people choose to participate in the Drop Zone for various reasons.

“Often times it’s because they know someone, or are related to someone who lives with a disability,” she said.

“All the funds that are raised here today stay in Nova Scotia, and that’s really important to people.”

Brain injury survivor Debby Chipman has participated in this event for the 11th year, and has fundraised over $56,000 for Easter Seals.

Bernard took the challenge herself when she was minister of community services between 2013 and 2017.

“It was a bucket list thing, which a lot of people will tell you this is,” she said.

The event saw about 40 people rappel down the building on Saturday, with thousands of dollars raised.