Lewes Elementary staff goes over the edge for Special Olympics

A team of Lewes Elementary educators dared to display their commitment to students with special needs in a dramatic way May 11, when they rappelled down a 17-story building in Wilmington as part of Special Olympics Delaware’s Going Over the Edge fundraiser.

Lewes Elementary Principal Kim Corbidge, special education teachers Devon Reber and Ryan Blakeman, and physical education teacher Ben Ashby each raised $1,100 or more for Special Olympics Delaware, qualifying them to take part in the annual event.

“The premise is for us to not only raise money but to do something brave and uncomfortable just like our special needs students do every day,” Corbidge said.

Lewes Elementary staff has worked with Special Olympics Delaware on several events this school year, Corbidge said. 

In the fall, Ashby and Reber participated in a bocce tournament with students from Reber's specialized setting room and other Lewes Elementary students, and in April, an event at Cape High that highlighted Special Olympics Delaware also provided information on the Over the Edge event.  

Corbidge said she and her coworkers raised $1,100 each in just over a month through social media posts and donations from parents, friends, families and local businesses.  

“We had about 15 minutes of training before the actual repel,” Corbidge said. “We are definitely doing it again next year!”

Corbidge said she was nervous when she stood on the ledge of the building.

“But I felt secure when they said to lean back and trust the harness, and I did, and it tightened,” she said. “It was pretty amazing!”

Special Olympics Delaware Senior Director of Unified Champion Schools Jon Buzby said 98 people participated in Going Over the Edge, raising more than $140,000 for Special Olympics. 

“It was the highest participation number in the event's 12-year history,” Buzby said.

All funds go toward Special Olympics Delaware’s mission to provide free, year-round sports training and competition to more than 4,200 children and adults with intellectual disabilities statewide. 

For more information about Special Olympics Delaware, go to sode.org.