Fog delays skydiver aiming for 200 jumps today

Posted at 10:30 AM on June 16, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (1 Comments)
Filed under: Twin Cities

Kevin Burkart wants to jump out of an airplane 200 times today. Fog and clouds are hampering delayed the start of his crazy stunt.

UPDATE 11:15 a.m.: Burkart completed his first jump of the day shortly after 11 a.m. If he aims to hit 200 before dark, he's got to make about 20 jumps per hour.

UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: Things are really rolling now. He's got 50 jumps in the can.

UPDATE 10:30 p.m.: Looks like the late start was too much too overcome. Burkart's Twitter stream indicates the team was calling it a night at only 150 jumps.

For Burkart, the skydiving marathon is a way to raise money for Parkinson's research, a cause he took up after his dad was diagnosed with the disease in 1999.

He's hoping to do the jumps at Skydive Twin Cities in Baldwin, Wis.

Burkart wrote a touching story about his dad's experience.

It was 7:00am on a Saturday morning. July 31, 1999. I was a busy 28 year old professional living in the Twin Cities. I was late to meet my friends at the boat launch on the Mississippi River. We were putting in for a weekend of boating and camping on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. I hadn't spoken to my Dad much that summer. Not as much as I would have liked. And for some reason, something was nagging at me that I needed to call him. So, schedule aside, I phoned him. His wife Monica answered. I told her I had to talk to Dad and tell him I loved him. She said okay, I'll put him on right away. When he got on, I noticed she stayed on the phone. And I knew something wasn't quite right. And indeed, he cried.

He told me the day before, Friday, he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson Disease and how did I know to call him and tell him I loved him?

Burkart did 100 jumps in a day in 2008, raising $40,000. You can follow his progress today on Twitter and Facebook.

Photo courtesy 200 Perfect Jumps

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