He's scared of heights, but Lindsay Chan doesn't mind being dropped off the side of a six-storey city building in the name of charity.

The co-owner of The Gym on First Avenue is one of 14 Tauranga bosses and community frontrunners taking part in the ‘Drop Your Boss' event, in which participants abseil down the Inland Revenue Department building on Elizabeth Street on September 2.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby and The Gym Tauranga director Lindsay Chan. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Now in its second year, the event raises funds for Foundation For Youth Development Bay of Plenty to put towards Tauranga children involved in the foundation's Kiwi Can and Project K programmes.

'I've done skydiving, but I've never abseiled before,” says Lindsay. 'But I do like to challenge myself and I'm willing to help anyone out.”

Aside from that, he admits he was sort of pushed into doing it. 'It was sprung on me,” says Lindsay, who was nominated by his staff and gym members.

'They were trying to surprise me with the whole thing but it ended up that they needed to get my signature on a piece of paper so that's when it came out of the bag.”

Hearing it was for Kiwi Can and Project K softened the deal for Lindsay, who says FYD regional manager Dan Allen-Gordon has brought children from the Kiwi Can and Project K programmes into The Gym on a few occasions for fun fitness activities.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby has also put his hand up to abseil off the building.

'And if somebody wants to tie the knots, that'll cost extra,” laughs the mayor.

He's only been abseiling once before down the side of Mauao 'a very long time ago”.

'Heights don't bother me,” he says. 'I'm interested in things that have a little risk attached to it. Sometimes diving into the unknown is quite common for me.”

Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout took the drop for the inaugural event last year as Stuart was overseas.

'I promised them I'd be able to do it this time,” says Stuart. 'I'm looking forward to it. It's a great cause and hopefully we can raise a few dollars for Kids Can.

'I think it's important that people who are well known can put themselves out there for good causes.”

FYD regional manager Dan Allen-Gordon, who's also taking part in the abseil, says the event raised $25,000 last year. He's hoping to raise $30,000 this year to help with the growing number of Western BOP children in the Kiwi Can and Project K programmes.

The Drop Your Boss event is on September 2, with the first drop at 11am.

Entries have now closed, but people can nominate their bosses for next year by contacting Foundation for Youth Development on: 07 5710165.

To donate, visit: givealittle.co.nz/event/dropyourbossbop2015