DENVER -- How many people does it take to pull a 164,000 pound plane? The answer is 25.
Dozens of teams will be competing at Denver International Airport this weekend to see who can pull a 757 12-feet the fastest. The Plane Pull is a fundraiser for Special Olympics Colorado.
While anyone can put together a team, many of the teams are made up of area law enforcement officers.
“The reason we do what we do is for the athletes,” Aurora Police Sgt. Cassidee Carlson told Denver7 when discussing why she and her team do this year after year. “It is awesome to see them, their energy is up, everyone’s in a great mood. It’s a fun time.”
The plane pull is just one of the events that law enforcement officers take part in every year to raise money for Special Olympics. For the plane pull, each team of 25 is asked to raise $1,250. That’s $50 each.
“We like to encourage our people to raise a whole heck of a lot more because it helps support the over 21,000 athletes here in Colorado,” Carlson said.
One of those athletes is Colton Rice. He plays unified flag football, basketball and soccer at Brighton High School.
“All of the unified are very and challenging [sic] and it’s very good for people to make more friends,” Colton said. “I think it’s a great idea for people to get out and try something new they’ve not done.”
Teams can register the day of the event. Competition starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 12 at Signature Flight Support located at Denver International Airport.