Dropping your boss, in the name of charity

Indulge Editor Annemarie Quill abseiling down Te Puna Quarry Rockface in preparation for Drop The Boss

It is not everyone who can get 20 people to say yes to abseiling down Tauranga's tallest building but it is hard to say no to Dan Allen-Gordon. As regional manager of the Foundation for Youth Development Bay of Plenty, Dan dedicates his life to preventing violence and bullying in schools, and to helping youth. He co-ordinates the foundation's life skills programmes in Bay schools.

In 2005, Dan introduced the region to Kiwi Can, a programme now taught to 2400 kids in 10 Western Bay schools.

Despite having a family of his own, he also manages to keep in contact with each of the 84 students who have done Project K, a 14-month course involving wilderness adventure, a community challenge and mentoring for selected Year 10 students at Otumoetai College and Mount Maunganui College.

In September, Dan is organising Drop Your Boss, a fundraising event to help the foundation find the $150 per child it needs for Kiwi Can and the $7000 per pupil for Project K.

He will join 20 community and business leaders in abseiling off Tauranga's IRD building. People making the drop include Mayor Stuart Crosby and Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller.

Last weekend Dan and I were lucky enough to get some practice at Te Puna Quarry Park under the watchful eye of rock climbing instructor Harrie Geraerts. I had bumped into Harrie at the Rock House where I had taken the kids and, when he heard about Drop the Boss, he offered to take Dan and me on a real rock face. What a star!

We are not too comfortable though, as Harrie says abseiling down a vertical building is way harder than a rock face.

Drop the Boss takes place on September 2 and proceeds go to Foundation for Youth Development for Kiwi Can and Project K in Western Bay of Plenty, which reach thousands of kids each year aged 5 to 15.

Below is my Givealittle page link:
http://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/dropannemariequill