Throw Momma From A Plane

My mom likes to go fast. When I was in high school she drove a white RX-7 and my friends would say “I saw your mom today: a white blur streaked by.” Forget Disney World and their placid rides. The Carter family went to Kings Island and the first stop was The Beast, at the time the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. Later, when I was an Indianapolis 500 Princess, my mom complained that our loop around the Brickyard was done at a staid 20MPH. “That’s just WRONG” she said.

She likes to go fast.

It shouldn’t surprise you, then, that the woman wants to skydive. You can’t get much faster than falling from a plane flying at 14,500 feet. So when I was invited to do just that the first thing I asked (after saying yes – the apple doesn’t fall far from the, er, tree) was if my mom could do that, too.

The best part? We get to raise money for breast cancer awareness! My grandmother, her mom, is a breast cancer survivor. She’s one of those who beat it. She’s still here. I can still visit her and talk to her and listen to her stories about growing up in Chicago. (She believes that my love for this city came directly from her, and I think she must be right.) Somebody’s research made that happen. Somebody’s dedication and skill and knowledge is why I can hear her voice any time I want to just by picking up a phone.

And somebody paid for all of that. A whole lot of somebody’s paid for that, and that’s the main reason I’m jumping out of a perfectly good plane this Saturday.

The Chicagoland Skyding Center is hosting a three-day fundraiser for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. A portion of all jumps is being donated to the cause. What about those who don’t want to jump, you ask? Mom and I have joined their GiveForward campaign and have set a goal to raise $1,000. Anything you can give will help, and so will spreading the word! If you’re on Twitter use hashtag #operationpinksky and tag @thelocaltourist and @pennytlt so we can say thanks! You can donate at giveforward.org/teamtlt.

Oh, but if you see my grandma? Don’t tell her we’re doing this. We’d both be grounded.