ESP Athens Hosts Final Big Jump Festival at Skydive in Monroe Oct. 25

Future fundraising events will be disclosed at a later date

After 15 years of raising money and awareness through skydiving, Extra Special People (ESP) will host its final Big Jump Festival on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Skydive Monroe in Monroe.

The annual event brings together community members, supporters and ESP participants for a day of skydiving and family-friendly fall activities. In 2025, Big Jump raised more than $106,000 for ESP. Participants who make the jump commit to raising either $1,000 or $5,000, underscoring the community’s long-standing support for the organization.

Over the years, notable jumpers have included former University of Georgia coach Vince Dooley and former Georgia football player Marshall Morgan. This year, ESP CEO and USA Today bestselling author Laura Hope Whitaker and actor and ESP spokesperson Lily Moore will join the event’s history of celebrity jumpers.

“I have always wanted to skydive; it’s always been on my bucket list to do it,” Moore said. “Doing it for ESP is so important for me. It’s important for members to have the ESP experience, so I am willing to push myself out of my comfort zone so others can have it.”

For ESP supporters, the jump has also become a personal way to give back. Tyler Bokin, who participated in Big Jump for the first time in 2024 after watching his wife, Randi, make several jumps, said the experience allowed him to support his “ESP family” while also checking skydiving off his bucket list.

Proceeds from Big Jump support ESP programs and services that create transformative experiences for people with disabilities and their families, including summer camp, afternoon activities and meaningful employment opportunities.

Founded in 1986 in Watkinsville, ESP now serves more than 1,450 individuals and families annually across Georgia and North Carolina, including more than 780 members and families in Athens.

The final Big Jump Festival will feature an accessible fall festival for families, with opportunities to watch the community jumpers and celebrate their landings. The event also offers local media opportunities to highlight the personal stories behind the fundraising, skydiving and ESP’s mission of creating greater belonging for people of all abilities.

Event details:
What: ESP Athens’ Big Jump Festival
When: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026
Where: Skydive Monroe, 535 Towler St., Monroe, Ga.

The 2026 festival marks the end of a 15-year tradition, making this year’s event both a fundraising opportunity and a celebration of the community that has supported ESP through the years. Organizers say that more information will be made available soon on what fundraising event will replace the Big Jump Festival for future year fundraisers.