This past September 2010 Raise the Sky produced an amazing tribute to Steve Harrington 11.25.68-11.11.09, who was killed in a skydiving accident during the 2009 US National Formation Record. Everyone surrounding this project was very generous with their work and time. Taya Weiss, founder of Raise The Sky, is an amazing person dedicated to her mission of giving back to the world. This memorial event created the possibility for a new foundation formulated by Raise the Sky, The Steve Harrington Scholarship Fund. A great weekend of jumping at Pepperell Skydiving Center, Steve’s local Drop zone. Organizers for both RW and Wingsuiting were on hand to help out. Jeff Nebelkopf successfully organized an “S” formation with the pool of Steve’s wingsuiter …
Circle of Awareness: The power of thought
Time moves so fast. It’s easy to get comfortable the way life is, your healthy body, the routines and general plan your life has taken from day to day. In the last two weeks our little drop zone has taken a hit to the community. A very experienced instructor and long time resident, Paolo Di Fino, with over a decade on this property misjudged a landing bringing himself close to death as anyone can be. Again my new found drop zone and the community of skydiving completely amazed me. The outpouring of love through action is more then evident over time. Paolo’s accident sent a wave through our community as such a tragedy would. Vibrant, alive and full of life …
Pat Dodgin 1949-2009 BOOK and DVD
This is a peek at the final product for this project. A book and DVD commissioned by Pat’s wife Amy and the organizer, Jeannie Banksten.I’ve truly enjoyed working on this project. The camaraderie of the skydiving community really shines at these times and the success of the day and tribute to Pat was a combined effort of many.One of the impacts memorials and funerals have on me is the reflection of the community that come out to honor those who have passed. It’s easy to see what the world around us truly values in a person and that reflection is evidently authentic at these times.It is these times a clarity in life seems to emerge where we can take stock …
Pat Dodgin Slide Show
Below is a slide show with many of the pictures in time line to music. Do hope you enjoy it. Like what you see here, please leave a comment. Would love to hear some feedback from you all. The video and book will take a little longer to deliver so this is it for a bit.I am really enjoying working on all this, playing with the photos, going over and over such an awesome day of skydiving and celebrating such awesome relationships in the name and honor of a friend. How lucky we are to have a community such as ours. A life such as ours. This is my second memorial and again this time it’s as if I had …
A Celebration of Life – Patrick Dodgin 2.4.1949 – 12.26.09
As skydivers, learning to say goodbye starts with simply celebrating life as only skydivers can. This past weekend, Queen “Bee” Productions, Jeannie Bankston, organized an incredible memorial tribute to one of our own Patrick Dodgin and hosted by his beloved wife Amy Smith Dodgin. It was a full day. Four jumps blew the rust off a few with the last two jumps being ash dives with one on the beach. A tribute by Ruben Garcia was simply inspiring, started the ceramony. The VFW showed up in full force with over 25 participants, a military gun salute and a flag presentation to his wife, Amy Smith Dodgin.Lyle Presse organized the troops with a foolproof plan that worked for all jumps, giving …