SRO makes Kick Cancer game extra special
Lauren Estes-Velez
Special to the Enquirer
Falkville School Resource Officer Seth “Sully” Sullivan wanted to add a little kick to the events that led up to the Blue Devil Pink Out Kick Cancer game at Burl Vest last Friday night.
Sullivan said he got the idea to bring in something exciting for opening ceremonies and contacted Skydive Alabama.
“I knew they were located in Vinemont, and I just called them and spoke to Kendra,” Sullivan said. “She said she would see if any pro skydivers were available. She contacted back within an hour and said she had three that wanted to participate.”
Three pro skydivers landed on the field about 30 minutes before the game kicked off and brought much excitement to the surrounding crowd.
“The first skydiver had pink smoke that erupted as he came down; the second one had a 40-foot-long pink and purple streamer; and the last had a large pink flag, in honor of the Kick Cancer game,” Sullivan said.
The true test for Sullivan came after the pro skydivers made their jumps, he said.
“We were all standing there talking about jumps and how it works, and they invited me to come and skydive. I said, ‘Nah, I’m good,’” Sullivan said. “Then there might have been a little ‘Oh, you’re scared, huh’ involved. I went on to tell them about one of the teachers, Ashley Holmes, who has jumped before, and they said I needed to do it too.
“I told them I would be on a plane Monday, and there was no need to jump out of a plane two days before. The jumpers said they would be at Skydive Alabama in the morning if I wanted to join. So I then asked Ashley about going. We met them all at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and decided to do it.”
Sullivan said he wore his NASRO shirt to jump in honor of Pam Revels – Alabama Association of School Resource Officers board president who is fighting breast cancer.
“She is a corporal at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office,” Sullivan said. “She has been a great mentor to me in the schools and helped me obtain my NASRO instructor status.”
And what did Sullivan think about his first jump?
“It was great,” he said. “I’m ready to go again. It was great falling 158 miles per hour in the sky.”
After the Kick Cancer night ended with the T-shirts sold, donations taken and a large amount of support coming in for the Pink Out night, head coach Joel Schrenk said Falkville raised $7,500.
“We’re still finalizing the details on all that was raised and counting additional amounts,” Schrenk said. “All money raised is going to the Prayers for Kayleigh foundation, which works with St. Jude for pediatric brain cancer research.”
October is celebrated yearly as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
