Jumping for Jesus

MEEKER I More than 65 years old, Gene Sullivan is the oldest and longest touring motorcycle jumper in the world today. His first professional program took place in August 1970 in Colorado.
Sullivan met Evel Knievel in late 1969, when his father, Prescott Sullivan, interviewed the famous stunt rider in San Francisco before the Cow Palace jump and fight with the Hell’s Angels. The younger Sullivan stayed after the interview and ended up being hired as Knievel’s personal bodyguard.
In May 1972, Sullivan had an encounter with Jesus Christ and left Knievel’s organization. In 1978, Jump for Jesus Evangelism was formed.
The program, which includes Sullivan jumping a 30-foot gap and jumping through a wall of fire, has been performed in hundreds of locales around the world.
Sullivan lives in Billings, Mont., with his wife Ceci and four of their six children and 11 grandchildren. Visit www.jumpforjesus.net for more information.
The Jump for Jesus program will be performed Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Fairgrounds. It is a free event.