Senior Skydivers Set World Record, Women Set State Record at Breast Cancer Fundraiser in Texas

HOUSTON - Oct. 2, 2015 - PRLog -- Jump For The Rose (JFTR) today confirmed that a group of five skydivers achieved a world record at a breast cancer charity fundraiser the group recently sponsored. Bob Felt, Tom Ruprecht, John Benoit, Gary Greer, and James Parker, all of whom are over sixty years of age, jumped from 14,000 feet to create an unprecedented six-point formation in the skies above Rosharon, TX at the PinkFest Mini Boogie.

An all-woman group of eight skydivers set a Texas state record for the most number of women free-falling in a head-down formation at the same event. Included in the group were jumpers Jennifer Bocker, Tammie Frank, Bridget Johnson, Jessica Lynn, Rose Moeser, Melissa Payne Petrijcuks, Merry Regan, and Laura Wagner. Head-down skydiving is considered the most difficult of free-fall positions.

The new skydiving records were achieved at the 6th annual JFTR Pinkfest Boogie, a breast cancer fundraiser for The Rose clinics held at Skydive Spaceland in Rosharon on September 12 and 13, 2015. The event raised over $15,000 for The Rose-Houston's largest non-profit breast cancer clinic—which treats patients regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.

“That $15,000 will help screen and treat about 100 women,” says Marian Sparks, 60, the founder of JFTR, and an alumnus of The Rose clinic. Sparks was newly divorced, uninsured, and newly diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, when she was referred to The Rose. “The Rose saved my life. They were there for me during my darkest hour,” says Sparks. “During my treatment, I told them I was going to make it my mission to help The Rose help other women like me.” Since her recovery, the skydiver has helped raise nearly $100,000 for The Rose through the charity she founded, Jump For The Rose.

Now a six-year breast cancer survivor, Sparks has more than 2,000 skydives under her belt. She holds several Texas and United States skydiving records.

“Our ultimate goal at Jump For The Rose is to help The Rose acquire a mobile mammography suite,” says Sparks. “It's like a self-contained Rose clinic in a modified motor coach. The price tag is steep—about half a million dollars—but we know it will save so many lives. There are still many counties in Texas that don't have mammography services at all, and sometimes women in those counties have to travel for hours to get screened. This state-of-the-art coach will travel to them instead.”

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Notes to Editors:
Photos of Marian Sparks and the Women's Texas Vertical Record are available at no charge for editorial use only, in daily newspapers and magazines, from Norman Kent Productions, and must be credited to "Norman Kent" if used. Photos are available for use in weekly or monthly publications with express written permission and payment of a licensing fee from Norman Kent Productions. Please contact Norman Kent  at http://www.normankent.com for more information.

The photo of the Men's Over-60 Six-Point World Record is © 2015 Ben Nelson and may be used for any editorial (non-commercial, non-advertising) purpose with a credit to "Ben Nelson."

About Jump For The Rose
Founded by breast cancer survivor and avid skydiver Marian Sparks, Jump for the Rose (JFTR) is a grassroots skydiving organization dedicated to raising funds for The Rose, a Houston-area breast cancer clinic. In its brief history, the group has helped participate in  several women’s Texas state skydiving records, two national women’s sequential skydiving records, and earned a men's and a women's world records. To date, JFTR has raised nearly $100,000 for The Rose. For more information or to make a donation, visit http://www.jumpfortherose.org.

About The Rose
The Rose clinic’s mission is to reduce deaths from breast cancer by providing screening, diagnostics and access to treatment for all women regardless of their ability to pay. The Rose offers advanced breast cancer screening and diagnostic services including mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies and access to treatment to more than 35,000 women in the Houston area annually. Since its launch in 1986, The Rose has served nearly 500,000 patients and is now the leading non-profit breast health care organization in southeast Texas. For more information, visit http://www.the-rose.org.

About Marian Sparks
A six-year breast cancer survivor, Marian Sparks, 60, has more than 2,000 skydives under her belt. She holds several Texas, and National skydiving records. Sparks founded Jump For The Rose to help raise funds for The Rose, a non-profit breast health clinic that diagnosed and treated her breast cancer when she was newly divorced and without insurance. Sparks has been featured in two advertising campaigns for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, one of the organizations that supports The Rose's programs.