Will Smith has become a bit of a daredevil and, in celebration of his 50th birthday, he is going to be bungee jumping out of a helicopter, over the Grand Canyon. In addition, the actor is using this stunt as a way to raise money. The Associated Press has reported that Smith has teamed up with charity website Omaze to make his bungee jump a fundraiser. The website launched a lottery for a fan to witness the jump and meet actor Smith.
On Good Morning America, Lara Spencer reported that the event will begin at 5:45 p.m. ET, though the live stream says 6 p.m. ET. Just to be safe, you should probably start watching at the earlier time, so you’re sure not to miss the Fresh Prince making the jump.
When it comes to the actual jump, Grand Canyon spokeswoman Kari Cobb said that she was not approached about the stunt, but she said it wouldn’t have been allowed anyway, explaining to the AP that, “It’s everything relating to safety, impacts to visitors and impacts to the resources.” So, Smith is not actually jumping “in the heart of the Grand Canyon.” He will actually be jumping over a smaller gorge on the Navajo Nation, which is a tribe whose reservation borders the east rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, as reported by Billboard.
As far as Omaze goes on the cause, all entries are in and they have closed the lottery. The Omaze page with info on the big jump explains the fundraiser as this, “Some people spend a lifetime perfecting the art of making moments worthy of becoming memories. The opportunity to hone your craft will come in the heart of the Grand Canyon. Together with Will Smith, you’ll paint a perfect picture of his 50th birthday celebration. You’ll witness his epic heli-bungee jump in the company of Will’s closest family and friends. Afterwards, you’ll join Will for food, fun and conversation. To properly memorialize this legendary day, you’ll snap photos with Will and FaceTime with friends to share your extraordinary experience. Flights and hotel are on us. Share in thrills, share in the laughter, but most importantly, share in the moment you helped to create.”
And when it comes to where the donation money goes, Omaze has reported that ALL proceeds go to The Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation and they will be distributed to Global Citizen to support their advocacy work on education and Education Cannot Wait, which is a global initiative that provides help to children in crisis-affected areas. The title of the Omaze event was “Hang with Will Smith at His Bungee-Jumping 50th Birthday Celebration”.
This is not the first time that Smith has executed a daredevil bungee jumping stunt. People reported that Smith previously jumped off a 355-foot waterfall in Zimbabwe, known as Victoria Falls. When making the jump, Smith said, “You know, you say ‘yes’ to things long before you actually know what they are.” See the video of his Victoria Falls jump below.