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NEWS BRIEFS
Skydivers raise funds for charity
John Garrido parachutes down on his 13th jump of the day during the first "Jump for Joy" fundraiser Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, at Robert Newlon Air Park in Huntington. The fundraiser will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tri-State Inc.
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LESAGE -- Skydivers from across the region took to the blue skies in Lesage on Sunday to raise money -- and fall out of planes -- for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tri-State.
The West Virginia Skydivers, a new company based at Robert Newlon Air Park, hosted "Jump for Joy," a fundraiser that hopefully will become an annual event, said John Garrido, a skydiving coach for the company.
While there was live music, cornhole, inflatables, volleyball and plenty of food, Garrido was the focus of the fundraiser. He was attempting to set the state record for jumps in one day by jumping out of a plane 25 times.
The Huntington resident came up with the idea during a recent discussion with his friends about records. Garrido enlisted the help of his skydiving buddies and before long, his attempt turned into a full-fledged fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House.
Garrido has been skydiving for eight years and has more than 500 jumps under his belt. His personal record for jumps in one day prior to Sunday was 12, but he had eclipsed that mark by noon.
"Jumping three or four times in one day isn't tiring, but you start to wear down when you get up around 12," Garrido said while taking a lunch break. "You're dealing with 120 mph-plus winds, so you're working every muscle in your body to stay in control."
Barboursville resident and skydiver Mark Salmons, who helped put Sunday's festivities together, said it was uplifting to see so many people involved with the sport come together for the fundraiser.
"We didn't have anyone tell us they wouldn't help because we didn't have to ask," he said. "Everyone just stepped up, and that's amazing."
