Ed Marshall, a Second World War veteran and member of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, will skydive to raise funds for The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).
The event, named the “100 Year Jump,” honours Ed’s 100th birthday, celebrated in December.
Stratford resident Maureen Pratley, who is Ed’s daughter, commented on her dad’s skydive, saying he’s super excited, and he’s been talking about doing it for the past two-to-three years.
His goal is to raise $1,000 for each of his 100 years, supporting the hospital’s highest priority needs.
Ed, the oldest living paratrooper of his battalion, last completed low-altitude training jumps 79 years ago. For this event, he will jump from 12,500 feet with veteran paratrooper Adam Winnicki.
Maureen said her dad wants to fulfill his dream of a high-altitude jump, something he never experienced during his military training.
She also said this is a “worthwhile cause.”
“I think he recognizes that it’s a great cause. I think he recognizes that you need to have goals no matter your age in life. And I think those were the two main sort of drivers of his plan,” she added.
According to Maureen, her dad has visited Stratford hundreds of times to see family and enjoys their cottage on Lake Huron.
These frequent visits have made him feel connected to the Stratford community.
The jump was originally set for Thursday, June 13, but has since been rescheduled due to high winds.
