ORLANDO, Fla. — Heart of Florida United Way took fundraising to new heights Saturday.

They had people rappel from the top of Orlando Regional Medical Center to help raise money for veteran’s services.

Heart of Florida United Way CEO Jeff Hayward says they raised about $100,000 at the event.

“Which is a significant amount, it’s going to go a long way, supporting veterans who are returning from deployment,” Hayward said.

Each person who rappelled down had to raise at least $1,000.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina, who is a veteran himself, was the first to rappel down.

“Mission United helps our veterans connect with resources in our community, provide employment opportunities, education opportunities and health services, so proud to be a part of this,” Mina said.

 

The money will go to help veterans like Otis Johnson, who served in the Navy for almost six years.

“You don’t really understand how your skillsets translate over, so the first six months to a year I was having a hard time finding employment opportunities,” Johnson said.

He said United Way has helped him pay for certifications he’s needed to apply for jobs.

Johnson said this money will help a lot of veterans like him.

“And to have someone on your side, advocating for you, putting you in front of various opportunities that you might not be aware of is cornerstone to the success of a lot of us, especially service connected veterans,” Johnson said.