'Global Leap for Life 2011' gives people chance to raise money for cancer charities

This September, in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, people worldwide have the opportunity to skydive with a collective purpose — helping to raise money for the thousands of children, and their families, living with cancer. This year's "Global Leap for Life 2011" gives people the chance to join a worldwide skydiving fundraising initiative — allowing them to "skydive for a cause" and raise money for cancer charities. People can make tax-deductible donations to sponsor a skydive and benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for all kids with cancer. In addition, people can also skydive for another cancer charity, Strength for Life, a New York-based not-for-profit dedicated to empowering people with cancer and cancer survivors through exercise.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra "Alex" Scott who wanted to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Alex lost her fight with cancer at age 8, but since its inception, ALSF has raised more than $40 million towards Alex's cancer cure dream.

Nearly 13,000 children are diagnosed with pediatric cancer each year in the United States and, worldwide, approximately 11 million people are diagnosed with some form of cancer each year. Millions of dollars are needed to fund cancer research. In past events, Leap for Life has raised nearly $60,000 for various cancer charities. Their goal is to surpass that tally this year and encourage skydivers from around the world to participate in a unique skydiving adventure.

"For anyone who loves skydiving, or anyone who has always wanted to try it, Leap for Life is a great way to personally experience the excitement of being involved in one of the largest skydiving fundraisers ever undertaken, while also knowing that you are raising money for such an important cause," says Rick Collins, a NY-based attorney, fitness authority and co-author of the men's health and fitness book Alpha Male Challenge, who created the event in 2009 as a personal fundraiser in honor of friends and family members who had battled cancer. Collins raised more than $15,000 for cancer research that first year and grew the event into a worldwide fundraising initiative the following year. "Last year, we had more than 100 people who jumped with us in the fight against cancer, and I'm hopeful that this year even more people worldwide will join together as we all leap into action in the fight against cancer, and specifically, to help the many children and families affected by pediatric cancer."