The members of ‘Team Chevron’ are all taking part in this year’s Allendale Abseil for Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation and Youth Focus. The event challenges 200 intrepid souls to complete the 135-metre descent and is one of the longest single rope abseils anywhere in the world.

Chevron team leader Mark Lewis, a project systems architect, also completed the event in 2004 and has been instrumental in signing up this year’s recruits.

“I’m actually scared of heights,” Lewis said.

“So it was extremely nerve wracking. It’s easy to look up, but terrifying to look down. But the sense of achievement you get from completing it is amazing, especially because you are helping the kids.”

To date, ‘Team Chevron’ is the highest fundraiser for this year’s event and is close to its target of $24,000, which has been raised through corporate donations and sponsorship from Chevron.

Funds will be used to buy equipment for Princess Margaret Hospital’s cranio-maxillo-facial unit, and will also benefit Youth Focus, a charity that works with young people who are showing tendencies to suicide and self-harm.

The Abseil is now in its fourth year. The 2005 event will be held over the weekend of October 29 - 30.

Places are strictly limited to 200 people, including individuals, students and corporate teams of four. Individuals are required to raise a minimum of $1000 to take part and corporate teams, $8,000.

To register, visit the PMH Foundation website at www.pmhfoundation.com or call 9489 1100.