Cockeysville Doctor To Jump Off 33-Story Building

A local doctor is leaping for a good cause.

Cockeysville resident Matt Cooper, who is also the director of kidney transplantation at , is participating in the third annual Rappel for Kidney Health fundraiser.

"It's a great, novel way to get the message out," Cooper said.

For the uninitiated, rappelling is a controlled jump down a tall structure. Fundraiser participants will fall from the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel, a 33-story building.

And this is the third time around for Cooper.

"There's something about your survival instinct that kicks in, and once you're over the edge, you begin to relax and enjoy it.," he said.

All fun aside, Cooper said there is a dire need for awareness about kidney disease. He said there are about 90,000 people on the wait list for a kidney transplant in the United States, and approximately 20 to 25 people die a day waiting.

"It breaks your heart realizing this," he said.

All funds raised from the event—which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday—will benefit the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland. Interested donors can check out Cooper's fundraising page on the nonprofit's website.

Editor's Note: There was an error in a earlier version of this story regarding the Baltimore Marriott's height due to incorrect information provided to Patch.