Sortland rappelling from the Commerce Square Building in Philadelphia. (Photo from press release)
Members of the Sunrise Rotary Club that helped with the fundraiser. Sortland is in the back row wearing a blue shirt. (Photo from press relase)
Sortland rappelling from the Commerce Square Building in Philadelphia. (Photo from press release)
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Sortland rappelling from the Commerce Square Building in Philadelphia. (Photo from press release)
PHILADELPHIA — A Malvern woman recently rappelled from a 350-foot Center City building for a good cause.
Natanya Sortland, who has been legally blind for about the past decade, recently rappelled from the 30th story of a building at Commerce Square in Philadelphia.
Over the past few years, Sortland has been raising money and awareness for organizations that have helped her, such as an organization called VisionCorps that “helps empower individuals who are blind or vision impaired to attain independence.” She helped them by rappelling from various buildings to raise money and awareness of the organizations.
This time, Sortland said she was rappelling with an organization she recently joined to help them raise money for another group that she has had no prior affiliation with. The group helps young people.
Her connection with this new group began when Sortland joined the Sunrise Rotary Club from West Chester.
Sortland was part of a team from the Rotary Club that sought to raise funds to send high school-aged girls on a summer wilderness expedition to the Delaware Water Gap.
Specifically, her jump was for the Philadelphia Outward Bound School, a 33-year-old organization that provides experiences and learning opportunities for young people in the Philadelphia region. Those learning opportunities include outdoor team building programs and multi-day wilderness expeditions.
Justin Ennis, CEO of The Philadelphia Outward Bound School, said they have had a partnership with the rotary for years.
“This is a partnership we’ve had for a number of years that really speaks to what Outward Bound is all about which is about getting people outside of their comfort zone and help them discover what they are capable of but also being part of a crew where you are being supported by your peers, helping you embrace challenges and helping discover new abilities and self-confidence,” Ennis said.
Ennis said Sortland is an example of a few things, including their efforts to create access for all people to experience the outdoors and have transformative experiences there.
Sortland said helping on an organization like Outward Bound is an important benchmark in her recovery, in that this organization had nothing to do with her recovery.
Over the years, Sortland has repelled from other buildings for charitable purposes, but at 30 stories, this was the highest.
“It’s so different, I didn’t expect the wind to blow me over to the right, so I was lucky,” Sortland said following her jump.
But for Sortland, the idea that she was making the jump to help an organization that helps so many others was important for her.
“The money we raise is going to go directly to underserved girls — getting them the opportunity to have the outward bound experiences and through those experiences that is life changing for them,” Sortland said. “They get a new perspective. They learn to work together, they find out what they are made of, they find courage, and that is something incredibly important.”