Volunteers stepped off the roof of the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City Hotel and rappelled 25 stories down its face this weekend, part of Union Rescue Mission's eighth annual Over the Edge fundraising event. The event, which began Friday and continued Saturday, asked each participant to commit to raising at least $1,000 toward services for people and families experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles.
The event unfolded at the hotel located at 555 Universal Hollywood Drive, according to Union Rescue Mission, which organizes the annual challenge. Organizers said no rappelling experience was necessary, since participants were guided by trained professionals and expert technicians throughout the descent, and the event's safety standards required participants to weigh between 100 and 300 pounds. As reported by the Los Angeles Daily News, volunteers including Kristy Armas, Heaven Howard, Miguel Nunez, Sage Tyler, Gabe Navarro and Jim Adams took part in the rappel, with photographs of the event provided by Andy Holzman.
A Matching Gift Sweetens the Stakes
Officials said a $500,000 matching gift would double every donation dollar for dollar until the full match was met, giving participants extra incentive to hit their fundraising marks. Union Rescue Mission's event page states that 87 cents of every dollar raised goes toward life-transforming programs and services, though a prior report on the organization's 2025 event cited a slightly different figure, saying 86 cents of every dollar raised directly supported its long-term solutions, programs and resources.
Teams could also pool their efforts: the organization's site notes that a team of five would work toward a shared fundraising goal of $5,000. The structure mirrors last year's event, when organizers set an ambitious $1.8 million fundraising goal for the seventh annual Over the Edge, held over the Sept. 26-27 weekend in 2025.
A Growing Tradition Over Universal City
Last year's event drew roughly 300 people expected to take the 367-foot plunge over the course of the weekend, giving a sense of scale to what has become an annual rite for supporters willing to face their fear of heights for a cause. Union Rescue Mission describes itself as one of the oldest and largest private rescue missions in the nation, tracing its founding back to 1891, when Lyman Stewart established the organization as the Pacific Gospel Union. Stewart also co-founded Union Oil Company and Biola University.
On social media, the organization framed the challenge in stark terms. “By raising funds, you're joining the fight against homelessness,” Union Rescue Mission wrote in a LinkedIn post promoting the event. That message echoed the broader goal behind the harnesses and helmets: turning a dramatic descent down a Universal City hotel tower into dollars for people and families trying to find a way home.
