SAN DIEGO -- Ken St. Pierre has gone over the edge!

As part of a media "test-run" of tomorrow's Over the Edge for KIT event, St. Pierre rappelled 33-stories down one side of the south tower of the Manchester Grand Hyatt Friday morning.

Representing San Diego Gay & Lesbian News, St. Pierre participated in the event to raise funds and support for Kids Included Together (KIT), a San Diego-based nonprofit organization that provides best practices training for community-based organizations committed to including children with and without disabilities into their recreational, child development and youth development programs.

Over 100 people who committed to raising at least $1,000 for KIT will rappel tomorrow at the event, starting at 9 am.

St. Pierre, who told SDGLN yesterday that he had butterflies in his stomach at the thought of 357-foot descent, said that the experience was not as frightening as he thought it would be.

"Rappelling off the 33rd story of the Manchester Grand Hyatt was exhilarating! I was excited on the way up the elevator and I had a healthy amount of fear when I approached the edge," reported St. Pierre. "But once I got started, it was a lot of fun. I am so grateful that I was able to help such a wonderful cause."

St. Pierre also said that participating in this event was special to him, as he connected the experience to his father who passed away less than a year ago.

"This was a unique experience for me," said St. Pierre. "Earlier this morning I called my mother and we talked about how much my father would have loved to see me doing something this adventurous.

"At the same time it clicked for both of us: I was going off the 33rd story and 33 was my father's sports number all through high school and college. I always associate the number 33 with my father; it was his lucky number. At that point, I knew I would have a guardian angel rappelling alongside me down the building."

Before St. Pierre went up to the 33rd floor to prepare for his descent, he watched Erica Davis, a 28-year old paraplegic rappel down the building in a special racing wheelchair. Last year, Davis garnered much attention in the media, as she was the first female paraplegic to climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which stands 19,340 feet high.

St. Pierre ran into Davis' mother who told him that her daughter does not fear anything.

"She will do anything that anyone asks her to do ... if it sounds fun, she's up there," her mother said.

Erica Davis rappeling in her wheelchair:

Decked out in a safety gloves, a harness, and a helmet, St. Pierre was also asked to wear a pair of special "booties" to cover his shoes so that no footprints were left on the building's off-white walls.

"I appreciate the fact that [organizers] did think of everything before sending me off the side of a building," said St. Pierre, laughing.

Fresh off the high of viewing San Diego from such a different vantage point, St. Pierre said that he thinks others should try the sport and encourages the community to support KIT.

The official rappeling event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt located at One Market Place off of Harbor Drive, downtown. The public is welcome to the hotel's poolside lounge to watch participants rappel, starting at 9 am.

For more information or to contribute, click HERE.

Ken St. Pierre beginning his descent:

Post-rappel wrap-up: