by Rev. Tim Henning
On Feb. 1, the Pure Love Alliance had its first Bungee Jump fund- raiser for the Ocean Challenge Youth At Risk Program.
The event featured costumed jumpers, Batman and Robin, Superman, a clown, the Volvo crash dummy, and many others, leaping from a 220-foot MegaBungee Tower, billed as the highest jump in America. The Pure Love Alliance (PLA) organized it as a fund-raiser for Ocean Challenge, our Long Beach youth-at-risk program. Humorous biographies of the characters were read, refreshments were served, PLA literature distributed, T-shirts emblazoned with the PLA and shell sun-catchers were sold, the Purity Pledge was featured and signed by over 100, and the carnival-like atmosphere prevailed for nearly four hours, twice as long as expected. Several students signed forms to join the PLA. Those who stayed and watched were captivated by the drum rolls and plummeting PLA members. Large 5'x4' posters, some warning of the danger of "Safe Sex" and others explaining the "Pure Love Advantage" drew small crowds of onlookers.
Despite the absence of major media, there were some good results. Mrs. Wanda Draper, director of Options for Youth, expressed an interest in doing future events with the PLA, especially presentations of abstinence-based curriculum to her young people. Several ministers were impressed by the adventuresome spirit and have asked to see the absolute sex curriculum we're developing. The videotape footage of the event will be very helpful in portraying the PLA as daring, positive, fun, youthful and community-service oriented. Also, the event paid for itself and raised donations of approximately $400 for the Ocean Challenge non-profit youth program. Our members were most generous in pledging support and attending the event.
Perhaps the most obvious of the unexpected good results was the camaraderie of those who dared and jumped successfully. It will be a long time before the members and their guests are finished talking about it. It was indeed a formidable challenge to make the 220-foot leap, or even to look down from those heights. Going beyond one's limitations to fulfill a commitment is a good way to begin the year with the PLA.
Hyun Do, a.k.a. Batman, related bungee-jumping to the purity issue. "Jumping with a bungee cord is like absolute sex; you have a vertical connection and it's for a higher purpose. Free sex is like making the same jump without the bungee cord: tragedy every time."
Ivan, a.k.a Superman, says that it was very, very hard to jump. (He actually had very good form when he did it.) "If it weren't for the PLA, I wouldn't have done it. I would've backed out. Reaching the platform below and standing up, I was so overjoyed and surprised that I really did it!"
Malitzen Flores, dressed in a clown costume, was the first sister to make the jump. Her mother was crying to see her on the tower, but all smiles afterwards. David Stein, only 15 years old, braved the jump. His father was visibly nervous, but shook hands all around after a successful landing.