Published May 31. 2023 09:25AM
Special Olympics Pennsylvania is planning a new fundraising team event - plane pulling.
A kickoff event was held May 18 on the air cargo apron for FedEx at Lehigh Valley International Airport, 951 Postal Road, Allentown. It included Special Olympics Pennsylvania personnel, including Matt Aaron, president and CEO; Amy Williamson, Special Olympics athlete; Thomas R. Stoudt, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority executive director; FedEx representatives; and other LNAA representatives and Special Olympics athletes and volunteers.
This registration kickoff also included the first simulated plane pull featuring Special Olympics Pennsylvania athletes and volunteers.
The full-scale Lehigh Valley plane pull is set for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 10.
The plane pull challenges 25-person teams to pull an aircraft 12 feet the fastest. The Fed-Ex Airbus 300 airplane weighs about 175,000 pounds.
Each team will raise a minimum of $2,500, which is approximately $100 per team member.
This newest Special Olympics Pennsylvania event is intended to help raise funds to help ensure nearly 3,000 athletes in the Greater Lehigh Valley Pocono region have access to year-round sports, health and leadership programming, free of charge.
Get your team together now for the chance to be named the strongest team in the Lehigh Valley.
A group of Special Olympics athletes, coaches and volunteers pull a FedEx Airbus 300 airplane more than 12 feet as part of the Special Olympics Pennsylvania new plane pull kickoff event, held May 18 at Lehigh Valley International Airport, 951 Postal Road, Allentown.
Athletes and volunteers celebrate a successful simulated plane pull.
PRESS PHOTOS BY SCOTT M. NAGY A number of Special Olympics Pennsylvania representatives proudly help announce the new event.
