TWENTY supporters of a Cumbria-based charity, including Academy Award winner Jared Leto, have raised over £2.4m after abseiling down the Empire State Building in New York.
The event for Outward Bound marked the first-ever descent down the iconic structure.
Of the seventeen Brits involved, there was a broad range in ages, from 22-year-old Orla Williams who took part with her Dad, to Bill Roberts who will turn 80 later this month.
The actor and rock star Leto kicked off the Big Rappel, which spans nearly 900 feet from the building’s iconic spire down to the 30th floor.
The group abseiled the building in two sections, from floor 103 to 90 and from 80 down to 30, passing the observation deck to the surprise of Empire State visitors.
“Recently, I climbed up the fin of the Empire State Building to announce Thirty Seconds to Mars’ world tour and now as the tour begins, I’m excited to head in the opposite direction and rappel down to shine a light on the incredible work of Outward Bound,” he said.
Adding professional window washer to my resume 🥸@tedzhar joins me to rappel down Empire State building in support of @OutwardBoundUSA and the beginning of tour 🧗🏻 pic.twitter.com/TAMiQ0uaO9
— JARED LETO (@JaredLeto) May 12, 2024
“I’ve always admired Outward Bound and how they inspire people around the globe to transform their lives through adventure, challenge, experience, and discovery.”
Among the supporting crew was Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice, a trustee of Outward Bound UK.
“Bringing young people out of their comfort zones and supporting them to achieve something they never thought possible is what Outward Bound is all about.
"I am so happy to offer my support as a trustee and I am a great admirer of Outward Bound and all they stand for - these participants really are an inspiration,” said Princess Beatrice.
The Outward Bound Trust, headquartered in Penrith, has activity centers in Howtown, Eskdale and Ullswater.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here