Why a man in a wheelchair and a 70-year-old superhero rappelled down the side of a 17-storey building

CTV National News: Facing fears for a good cause Heather Wright reports on the group of superheroes facing their fears to raise money for children with physical disabilities.

A fundraiser for kids with physical disabilities had participants rappelling down the side of a 17-storey office building in Toronto on Wednesday.

The event, called Drop Zone Toronto, was organized by disability support charity Easter Seals Ontario.

Among the daredevils was Andrew Nielsen, who has cerebral palsy and rappelled down the building in his power wheelchair.

“It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Super Andrew!” he told CTV News, using a computer voice generator.

“I’m a bit of a daredevil, so when I heard about Drop Zone, it really appealed to me.”

Supporting Nielsen from afar was best friend Todd Stephens. The two met at an Easter Seals summer camp 36 years prior.

“He was a camper and I was a counsellor, and we’ve just been best friends ever since,” Stephens told CTV News.

According to the Easter Seals' website, participants paid a fee of $50, which went towards a fundraising goal of $850. The rappel was facilitated by Tacten Industrial Services Inc., which is a company with staff who are certified in rappelling and rope access.

Easter Seals Ontario president and CEO Kevin Collins explained how important fundraisers like this are for kids whose families need to pay for wheelchairs.

“Wheelchairs for a young child could be anywhere from $5,000 up to $45,000,” Collins told CTV News. “So you could imagine as that child grows and develops, how often that family would have to invest in something to ensure that their child gets an opportunity for independence.”

Another participant of the Drop Zone was 70-year-old Rebecca Szeto, who completed the descent wearing a Captain Marvel superhero costume.

“They say, 'Now you’re 70, you deserve to be a superhero,'” she told CTV News. “So here I am. I train, and I’ve got a little bit of muscle.”

With files from CTV National News Correspondent Heather Wright