Kansas head coach Bill Self lauds his players before 14 Big 12 conference championship trophies during the celebration following their 80-70 win over Texas on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018 at Allen Fieldhouse. The win gave the Jayhawks an outright win of their 14th-straight Big 12 Conference title. by Nick Krug

Later this summer, Kansas basketball coach Bill Self will be literally stepping out of his comfort zone in an effort to help raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence.

Self, on Aug. 25, will be rappelling down the side of a seven-story building in Downtown Lawrence as the featured guest in an “Over the Edge Global” fund-raiser to benefit the local chapter of the Boys & Girls club.

According to a press release, Self was among the first people to sign up for the event, which asks participants to raise at least $1,000 from their friends, family and fans to sponsor the act of bravery.

“I’ve never scaled a building or bungee jumped or done anything that is remotely comparable to what we’ll be doing on this day,” said Self, who will be scaling down the side of the 888 Lofts building (888 New Hampshire) along with others on that day in late August. “But I’m excited and it’s for a good cause. Hopefully it will generate a lot of interest from a lot of people.”

The Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence is still seeking others to join Self as “edgers” for their big event and the fun is open to people of all ages.

No experience is required in order to rappel, and there is no age requirement. Over The Edge will send professional, certified technicians to install and supervise all rappelling equipment and participants. The only requirement is that participants must be between 100-300 pounds. Even people in wheelchairs are able to rappel for charity but must contact Alissa Bauer — abauer@bgclk.org — at the Boys & Girls Club to arrange the proper accommodations ahead of time.

For Self and his wife, Cindy, who have been longtime supporters of the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, the fun of stepping off of a building is about much more than tackling something he never has done.

“I participated actively in the Boys & Girls Club in Oklahoma City when I was young,” Self said. “With coaching, I’ve seen so many players, especially from the inner cities, that were involved — and in many cases saved — by the efforts of Boys & Girls Club. It’s something that is very near and dear to us.”

Since 2008, Over The Edge Global has helped non-profits raise more than $70 million and put 52,000 people safely “Over The Edge.”

While the August event will be the first of its kind in Lawrence, the closest OTE rappel session happened at the Westar Energy building in Topeka back in September of 2015, when funds were raised to benefit the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center.

“This is not your everyday auction or golf tournament,” said Boys & Girls Club CEO Colby Wilson. “We wanted to expand our already awesome group of supporters. I’m really looking forward to seeing who we can engage with this. The timing lines up perfectly with the grand opening of our new facility, and we will have a lot of people we want to thank and have fun with. This event will help us do both.”

To register to join Self in climbing down the building or to learn more about the event, check out the Over The Edge Lawrence web site.