June 2012 - The ALS Association Greater Sacramento

Jumping out of a Proper Plane on Purpose: By Cathy Speck
Page 12
Look, up in the sky! It's a speck; it's a dot; it's getting bigger; it looks human-ish; it's
two flying humans. Wow! It's a parachute, a brightly colored parachute, and it's
beautifully and gracefully floating through the sky with two humans gripping on to
their straps. They're getting closer, and I can see... hey, that's my friend April in
that tandem splendor!
Cathy Speck—Post Jump with Sean
Harrison, April 2010
After my dear friend April landed safely with her instructor aka "jump master" at
SkyDance Skydiving at the Yolo County Airport, she had a few things to say. When
she caught her breath “At first, it's kind of a terrifying experience, but eventually
you realize that it will all be okay.”
Later, when April Kamen and I were hanging out on the ground waiting for others
to jump, a handsome, well-dressed man holding a microphone approached me:
"So, Cathy, tell me what's going on here today." I kind of heard what he said, but
really my mind was goin' round and ‘round: who IS this guy? Wait, he's Richard
Sharp the TV news reporter from KCRA channel 3! Then instead of speaking into
his microphone, I spun around in circles, and yelped excitedly like our doggie Mazie
does when we come home from work.
Fortunately April jumped in and saved the moment on air by chiming in: "When people get the ALS diagnosis, it's like
being shoved out of a plane, with no parachute, and they don't know what's going to happen to them," she said still
gleaming.
As co-producer of the event, I like to affirm that ALS Skydiving Specktacular has really taken off, just like a
plane. “Everyone was invited to skydive or hang out, have a picnic and watch friends flying toward earth, but I emphasize
that the purpose of this event is to raise awareness for ALS and raise money so that the Specktaculars can give a
super big chunk of money to the Walk to Defeat ALS.
"We are determined to raise $15,000 toward improving quality of life for PALS, and finding a cure for ALS, most commonly
called Lou Gehrig’s Disease says event co-producer Jae Templeton. The Specktaculars, a team composed of
friends, family and co-workers of former Davis Food Co-op Safety Director, singer-songwriter and native Davisite Cathy
Speck, will be walking for our cause at the October 6th Sacramento Walk to Defeat ALS.
“In my opinion, any ALSSAC event is a unique opportunity to talk personally with ALS staff, people who have ALS and
their families and friends”. The mission of ALSSAC (ALS Association, Sacramento Area Chapter) is to empower people
with ALS and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support, and to lead the
fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research. I declare truthfully, and often, that ALSSAC has
saved my life. Well, you know, I'm going to die of ALS, but I'm not done yet, and ALSSAC keeps me going."
Here is a link to the KCRA video on Yahoo! http://news.yahoo.com/
video/sacramentokcra-28855299/skydivers-fill-skies-for-a-l-s-
29357288.html
Sac Bee News:
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/22/4506864/supporters-takeleap-of-faith.html
Here is a link to the Sacramento Bee's photo essay:
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/20/4504039/als-skydivingspecktacular.html?mi_rss=Photo%20Galleries
Cathy Speck, Linda Duval and Robin Terra:
enjoying the shade and view of skydivers!