Scott Jones and a team of supporters were among dozens who took the plunge and rappelled down the side of Halifax’s tallest office tower on Friday.

The Drop Zone event at 1801 Hollis Street was in support of Easter Seals, an organization that promotes mobility, inclusion and independence for Nova Scotians with disabilities.

The cause is near and dear to Jones’ heart after he was stabbed outside a bar in downtown New Glasgow, N.S. in October 2013. The attack left him paralyzed from the waist down and Jones, who is openly gay, believes he was targeted because of his sexuality.

During his recovery, he helped launch the “Don’t Be Afraid” campaign to combat homophobia and promote acceptance.

“It was inspired by the attack that left me paralyzed and it kind of was a message to myself and to my family and community just to not let fear overtake you and just to look at your fear and explore it, and it’s an anti-homophobia campaign as well,” said Jones.

“Don’t Be Afraid and Easter Seals paired up because both strive for the same thing, which is inclusion in society, whether that’s breaking down physical barriers or social barriers.”

His own message stuck with him as he made the descent down the 23-storey building. He told CTV Atlantic he was feeling excited, rather than scared.

“I just love these types of activities that kind of shake you up inside and when you’re done you just feel like a million bucks,” said Jones. “It was a very calming experience, surprisingly.”

“What Scott Jones did is he embodied hope and he embodied the conquering of fears and what Scott Jones did today, I think, was enabled all of us to feel empowered to be ourselves,” said Henk Van Leeuwen, the CEO of Easter Seals Nova Scotia.

“Friday will have been a year since his attack and it just shows how far he’s come,” said Jones’ sister Sherise, who also made the rappel. “He’s my hero."

As of Friday, Jones’ team had raised more than $23,500 for Easter Seals.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl