CCFA's Jumping Blue Beans™ Jumped Across America

They went for the Extreme!

Took a Leap and Jumped for a Cure!

The Second Annual CCFA CCFA Jumping Blue Beans™ Jump across America™ took place on Saturday, May 14, 2005, to benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. The event has expanded from one location in 2004 to five locations - New Jersey, Florida, Nevada, Illinois and Texas. The event was sponsored by Friendship All Natural Cottage Cheese.

Across the nation, ninety-two CCFA jumpers gathered to tandem skydive to raise funds and help find a cure for Crohn's & colitis. Due to weather conditions, the event at Chicago, Illinois was postponed.

The jumpers' families and friends came along to support CCFA and watch their loved ones do a daring feat to fight for those living with inflammatory bowel disease.  

The CCFA Jumping Blue Beans™ skydiving event brought in over $116,000 in pledges, matching gifts and sponsorships.  Participants and supporters are continuing to submit pledges and donations to the event to help find a cure.

"All the participants are to be applauded for their courage and for their fight to find a cure. What started as a one person adventure has become a great story around the country. These amazing people are giving a totally different meaning to the expression 'the sky is the limit'".  Said Roger Koman, VP of New Business Development/New Enterprises at CCFA.  Mr. Koman adds "With their help, we can dream of a day, when kids will not have to suffer from this disease thanks to people like our 92 Jumping Blue Beans."
 
The event attracted CCFA skydivers who participated in last year's inaugural event as well as new participants who has a relationship with the disease or just wanted to feel the adrenaline while helping a good cause.
 
"It was both the scariest and most exhilarating thing my wife and I have ever done" said Mark Gulko who participated at Sebastian, Florida with his wife Linda.  Patricia Savage, a Crohn's patient proclaimed "It was such a rush; I can't even describe what I felt".
 

Christina Jeffcoat, a CCFA employee who participated as a tandem skydiver in Houston exclaimed "WOW!  What a totally amazing & exhilarating experience and such a rush of adrenaline.  I HIGHLY recommend skydiving!!  I am so proud of myself for raising funds for the foundation!  Huge thanks to all my supporters, family and friends who came out to cheer for me!!!"
 
Once again participants competed for prizes for the "Person Who Raised the Most" title and the bean bag competition which entails dropping a bean bag at a target before landing. 
 
This year prizes were provided by Boneau/Bryan Brown and Alan Wasser Associates, which donated theatre tickets to Broadway musicals and Foxwoods Resorts Casino, which donated a hotel stay for two and complimentary dinner certificates. Other prizes included CCFA apparel and merchandise such as a fall jacket and travel game with CCFA's  logo.
 
CCFA would like to congratulate Jason Hyne for raising the most funds in the New Jersey location.  Jason can also claim the title of "Champion Fundraiser" nationally, raising over $10,000 for the second time in a row.
 
Other fundraising winners, as of the cut-off date of May 12, 2005, are:
 • Mark Gulko, Sebastian, Florida - over $1,778
 • Joanna Hackney, Chicago, Illinois – $2,435
 • Alex Birchfield, Las Vegas, NV – $600
 • Christina Jeffcoat, Houston, TX - $3,305
 
Bean bag target champions are Audrey Copelton Dill and Brian Kasten from the competition at New Jersey and Florida.   
 

If you want to be included in the Jumping Blue Beans™ mailing list for next year's event or to sponsor the event, e-mail us at greatevents@ccfa.org.

We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

To send a donation, make checks payable to CCFA and mail to: Jumping Blue Beans™ Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, 386 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10016.

Meet CCFA's Mr. Blue Beans.™  The official mascot for the CCFA Jumping Blue Beans™ event is our friendly plush stuffed toy. Mr. Blue Beans™ is 6 1/2" tall and wears blue shorts featuring the CCFA logo. This soft lovable character makes a great gift for adults and children. Kids will love to cuddle with Mr. Blue Beans™. All proceeds go to CCFA.

To purchase Mr. Blue Beans™ click here.