VIDEO: Minkes and dolphins and whales, oh my! My Jump! goes whale watching
​On April 6, 2024, 32 individuals from five local senior centers joined together for a dolphin and whale watching expedition off Dana Point, Calif.

My Jump! is a nonprofit organization that helps seniors achieve what’s left on their bucket lists, with a focus on those living with low-incomes.

According to its website, the organization aims to inspire seniors to take a leap of faith in fulfilling their dreams, to sustain relationships and enrich these special individuals long after their experience with My Jump!, to tell stories of fellow seniors who maintain incredible lifestyles in the hopes it will inspire others to do the same and to enrich the lives of as many seniors as possible, including those living in isolation and without the means to fulfill their dreams.

PHOTOS: Coachella Valley seniors have a whale of a time
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On April 6, 32 individuals from five Coachella Valley senior centers joined together for a thrilling dolphin and whale watching expedition off Dana Point, Calif. They boarded an exclusive private charter on the Manute'a Whale and Dolphin Watching Experience run by Coast Guard-licensed Captain Dave Anderson.

The ocean off Dana Point, which is known as the “Whale Watching Capital of the World,” is teeming with whales, dolphins, sea lions and sharks. As the seniors got to know a boatload of strangers, they had a chance to observe sea animals up close without donning scuba gear, thanks to the ship’s Eye-to-Eye Underwater Viewing Pods.

The adventure was part of a new focus for My Jump!, which has been fulfilling bucket list wishes for low- or fixed-income senior citizens across the country for more than ten years.

"At the early stages of our organization, we were more focused on fulfilling individual bucket list wishes," says the organization's executive director, Webb Weiman, "but in the last few years we've started taking My Jump! in a new direction by trying to serve larger groups in order to create new bonds and friendships. That's why we brought together seniors from five local senior centers here in the Coachella Valley."

“I have always loved going fast, and I have the tickets to prove it,” says Palm Desert resident Joan Keys, 92, a former bookkeeper and antiques dealer.

On Saturday, Sept. 30, Keys was one of 10 gung-ho senior citizens who were treated to the BMW Experience in Thermal, thanks to Coachella Valley-based nonprofit MyJump!.
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MyJump! was founded by Webb Weiman, a former TV producer for "Project Runway" and "Top Chef." Years ago when his mother died, he observed his father retreating into isolation and expressing that he had no reason to live. Weiman decided his dad needed a boost, so he got him a date. The date went so well that his father married the woman and led a happy, fulfilled life to the end.