Fundraising

My Jump! Fulfills Bucket List Wishes for Low-Income Seniors

By: Andrea Carter
A local nonprofit has garnered national attention for its unique mission: working with low-income seniors, or those who are in isolation, to make one of their bucket-list dreams a reality. You may have already heard about My Jump! through CNN Heroes, ABC’s World News Tonight, the PBS NewsHour, The Costco Connection magazine or Forbes. That’s quite a collection of national media stories for a Coachella Valley-based charity.
It’s easy to grasp why My Jump! is on the rise – seeing seniors experience a thrill or accomplish something they never thought possible is undeniably heartwarming. The publicity has become a springboard for My Jump! to attract new supporters who share founder Webb Weiman’s vision of “not forgetting a generation we owe everything to by making their later years some of the best of their lives.”
“What’s especially beautiful about what we’ve been doing is the ripple effect it has on other seniors,” explains Weiman. “Witnessing someone in their 80s or 90s go skydiving or horseback riding, or soar in a hot air balloon, or drive an 18-wheeler, or take drum lessons – that inspires seniors to take their own leap of faith in fulfilling their dreams. It’s as important for us to tell the stories of fellow seniors doing something they never thought they would at this point in their life, with hopes that it will encourage others to do the same.”
What’s more, each recipient’s adventure is filmed for a “Jumpisode” – which is provided to them so they can relive and remember the experience. For many seniors that accomplish something on their bucket list, it goes beyond the exhilaration of the wish itself. These special opportunities have helped some overcome depression and have a completely new outlook on the twilight years of their life.
So what’s next for My Jump!? Weiman has a core group of supporters, but welcomes others here in the local philanthropic community who are touched by the organization’s mission to get involved. For now, My Jump! grants 10-15 bucket list wishes each year – estimated at $3,500-$5,500 each. Considerations include the health of the requestor, the cost of the adventure and the story behind the application.
Another unique aspect of this nonprofit is its annual fundraiser – the Pie in the Sky Auction, coming up on National Pi Day, March 14, 2020. Pastry chefs bake two pies – one for sampling and the other for auctioning. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. and guests are greeted with hors d’oeuvres, wine and pies samples, of course. The live auction starts at around 3:30 p.m. Pies sell for anywhere between $600-$2,500 each. Anyone who feels their pie is pretty spectacular and wishes to enter them into the auction, please contact Webb Weiman at (760) 851-5186. Tickets are $75 per person ($55 for pastry chefs).
For more information on My Jump!, go to www.myjump.org.

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