Sometimes people and opportunities that simply give you pause present themselves to you…and I recently had one such moment that was so remarkable that I just must share. This story revolves around the Stratosphere Casino, Hotel and Tower located at the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip and just shy of downtown Las Vegas and the Fremont Street Experience but it really only serves as a backdrop to the real story.

Las Vegas local Marcus Mitchell is a young, energetic and handsome single dad of three year old Noah whose passion for life and compassion are robust, palpable and contagious from the moment you shake his hand. As is my standard operating procedure these days, I first met Marcus a few weeks ago through the social media site, Twitter, when I happened to “re-tweet” one of his contests for a free SkyJump package. (For those not on Twitter a “re-tweet” is when you forward someone else’s 140 character or less message to those who are following you. Sort of like forwarding an email from one friend to another.) I re-tweet messages and contests that are entertainment-related — or that I just find interesting — to my followers all the time. I have never set out to (or expected to) win anything but over this past year I have won several things ranging from sunglasses to guitar accessories but the most recent win was the biggest so far…yep, I’m the one who won the free Sky Jump package off of the Stratosphere courtesy of my new friend Marcus. Pretty cool, right?

In case you don’t know, the Stratosphere is the tallest free-standing observation tower in the United States at 1,149 feet. Of course, there are many observation decks in taller towers elsewhere, the current tallest observation deck can be found in Chicago at the Willis Tower which boasts about 1730 feet. Getting back to Las Vegas, the Stratosphere deck at the top offers panoramic views of the entire valley and the Las Vegas Strip as well as four “thrill” rides, including SkyJump Las Vegas which is the only sky jump in North America and the highest in the world. It works as a controlled free fall from the tower’s 108th floor — similar to a vertical zip line — with the launching pad 855 feet above the Strip. Solo jumpers are harnessed in and attached to a cable that is connected to a descender machine and there are guide wires keeping the jumper on course and on target and just before reaching the rapidly approaching ground, the skyjumper is slowed down for a controlled and safe landing. The whole experience — from suiting up, taking the elevator ride to the 108th floor, undergoing multiple safety checks, standing on the ledge of the Tower and taking the 855-foot plunge — takes about 35 to 45 minutes and your friends can witness your temporary insanity from a nice observation deck located at the landing pad just behind the gift shop or for a fee they can ride up and see you off from the viewing area at the launching site. I watched and waited for Marcus and Bill at the landing pad behind the gift shop.

Oh, you didn’t think I made the jump…right? Um…no…this Diva has a little bit of an issue with heights so , in honor of Marcus’ generosity, I passed my free jump off to my hubby Bill and waited at the bottom and cheered both of them on as they both jumped from the tower on a beautiful Sunday night. While both showed a little nervousness prior to the jump, the smiles on their faces once back on the ground were huge…or was that just sheer relief to have it over and done with?

After a little time passed I asked Marcus for a quote about the experience to which he replied, “It felt good to just let go of any fears or worries about the jump and life. Since the jump experience I feel even more alive. A definite must do for locals as well as visitors. Jump and it will change your life. Trust me, you’ll see!” My hubby Bill added, “When my business partner asked ‘how did you do it?’ I started to tell him about the mechanics of it and he stopped me and said, ‘No, how did you possibly take the leap of faith to step off the ledge?’ I could not answer the question. I have always been kind of safe and conservative. Leap of faith was not really in my vocabulary. I know this is just a thrill ride but it has made me question some very basic assumptions. Marcus is right, it can change your life.”

The price to pay for such enlightening, life-changing insanity starts in the hundred dollar range with special package deals going up from there but there are also special “locals” prices so check out their website for more information.

So why does Marcus give away prizes like a free Sky Jump? Ah, there’s the real story. Well, he and his wife, Yanira, used to enjoy comps to shows and other Vegas activities together, bestowed upon them by various casino properties in town in response to their level of play but when she passed away in September 2008 from stomach cancer at the young age of 38 he was left with a young son and a broken heart. “My world became very dark and cold,” explains Marcus, but in 2009 decided to honor Yanira’s “bright personality and generous ways” by creating Pay It Forward contests on Twitter from the comps he still earns. “Of course the comps we had back then are gone, but I still continue to play and earn comps like before to give away for free, or buy stuff with the winnings to give away for free.”

Overall both Marcus and Bill had an amazing experience and I got to meet an exceptional young single dad who will inspire me to Pay It Forward for a long time to come.