Over the Edge for Kids

Toronto officers joined their Greater Toronto Area counterparts in rappeling down the 34-storey Westin Harbour Castle to benefit youth programs.

The Over the Edge fundraiser supports ProAction Cops and Kids, a non-profit that brings cops and kids together through skill-building and mentoring programs to create trust, respect and safer communities.

It was the first time rappelling for Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue.

“I felt great and I am so glad I was part of this,” she said. “At first, I was a little bit nervous. Then I focused on the things they taught us to do. Once you settle into that harness, you trust the process. I was able to settle in and make my way down and have a look around.”

The first of its kind cross-chapter ProAction Cops & Kids event brought together participants from chapters in Toronto, Durham, Hamilton, Halton and Peel regions.

“This is a fundraising opportunity for us, so we have been able to sell sponsorship and get people to pay to come down from the 34th floor of the hotel,” said ProAction Cops & Kids President Stephen Khouri. “I can’t think of a better opportunity for police officers and youth learning how to go down, how to rappel. It is a great trust building experience to be doing this in practice and then to go over the edge.”

Since 1991, ProAction Cops & Kids has supported nearly 2,400 police-led programs across the GTA, providing about 430,000 under-resourced youth with barrier-free access to skill building activities and life-changing opportunities.

“I have had a lot of interaction with ProAction and it is an amazing organization,” said Pogue. “We have incredible members in our organization that run these programs and dedicate a lot of their time to support young people in many activities.”