Skydivers to jump for 100th Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote

This Saturday (July 18), the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, an all-female demonstration team led by renowned professional skydivers, will perform an aerial skydiving display on the green space next to the National Women’s Hall of Fame and right across the river from the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York. In partnership with the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, the display will commemorate the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which secured women’s right to vote.

A group of women from the 11-member Highlight team will take to the skies with brightly colored smoke, streamers and flags displaying women’s suffrage themes of “Equality Can’t Wait,” “Votes for Women,” “Shall Not be Denied” and more. The performance will mark the first of a series of skydiving jumps at celebratory events around the country paying tribute to the landmark occasion.

“It’s our honor to be soaring through the skies to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s voting rights, especially in Seneca Falls, the site of the first women’s rights convention and birthplace of the women’s rights movement,” said Melanie Curtis, professional skydiver and co-founder of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team. “It is so easy to take the rights we have today for granted when we don’t know how bravely these women fought to secure them for us. We must continue to learn from history as we work to change people’s hearts and minds, as we work toward full equality still today.”

When preparing for the jumps this year, the Highlight women were amazed to learn that the original women’s suffrage movement similarly faced a global pandemic with the Spanish Flu. When the flu hit around 1919, many of the suffragist’s plans had to pivot, much like today, as maintaining the health and safety of their communities came first. Safety has been and always will be paramount to the Highlight team, which has also implemented strict protocols for safety during COVID-19.

“We are honored to partner with the brave women of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team to help us pay homage to the suffragists who fought for women's right to vote. The 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment deserves to be commemorated in a big, bold, and fierce way,” said Susan Combs, Chairwoman of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission. “These women will fly courageously with suffrage flags and colors of purple, white, and yellow – which stand for loyalty, purity of purpose, and hope respectively – helping us to further our mission of educating the American people about the efforts and undertakings of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.”

The public is encouraged to tune into the live, virtual skydiving event beginning at 11 a.m. EST on July 18 via the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team Facebook page. Viewers can expect to hear the excitement as the women jump from an altitude of 5,000 feet and see vibrant displays of the suffrage colors through smoke, streamers and inspirational flags as the women descend to the landing zone at Seneca Falls. The virtual, livestream event will rival the live-spectator experience with expert commentary and supplemental historical footage sharing important messages that deserve to be amplified on this incredible anniversary.

For more information about the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, visit www.highlightskydiving.com or follow along on Instagram and Facebook. For media inquiries contact WSN@dittoepr.com.

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About Highlight Pro Skydiving Team

The Highlight Pro Skydiving Team, named for using their high-flying talents to highlight and amplify important messages, is an all-female team of 11 highly skilled skydivers cofounded by professional skydivers Melanie Curtis and Amy Chmelecki. All team members hold the United States Parachute Association (USPA) PRO Rating, meaning they can safely fly and land in challenging areas and in close proximity to spectators. The inspiration for the Highlight team began after learning about the tenacious women who led the women’s suffrage movement 100 years ago that secured women’s right to vote in America. The idea was to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment in a way no one could ignore or soon forget. The Highlight team mission is to inspire all women to live bold, brave lives of their own design in skydiving and beyond.

About Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission

The Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission was created to honor the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of the 19th amendment and will celebrate this significant milestone by supporting projects and initiatives across the country. The 19th Amendment, which was ratified on August 18th, 1920, prohibits states and the federal government from denying women the right to vote.

About Women’s Rights National Historical Park

The Women’s Rights National Historical Park is where the Seneca Falls Convention was held in 1848. The Seneca Falls Convention was organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a native of Seneca Falls, and was the first women’s rights convention in the United States. It was from this meeting that the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions emerged, which set the framework for the national women’s suffrage movement that soon followed. The Women’s Rights National Historical Park is one of the many stops on the Votes for Women History Trail, which connects sites throughout Upstate New York that were important to the establishment of women’s suffrage.

About the National Women’s Hall of Fame

Situated in Seneca Falls, N.Y., The National Women's Hall of Fame was founded in 1969 and is the nation's oldest membership organization and museum dedicated to honoring and celebrating the achievements of distinguished American women. In pursuit of its mission of "Showcasing Great Women...Inspiring All," the National Women's Hall of Fame honors the women of the past, relates the history of women's struggles, prepares the women of the future and serves as the voice celebrating the value of women.