23 Apr Ignite Social Media Pulls a Plane for Special Olympics
This past weekend, a team of 5 Ignite Social Media employees joined over 90 other teams to pull a plane for the Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC). It was a fantastic fundraising event that helped raise awareness and money for a great cause.
The SONC helps children and adults with intellectual disabilities receive year-round sports training and athletic competition. This helps develop their physical fitness, courage and confidence, gaining friendships and camaraderie through their experience. And thanks to the volunteers and donations from individuals, businesses, foundations and civic groups, the athletes never have to pay participate.
This is how we practiced before the real thing.
To get an idea of what is involved in a Plane Pull®, imagine a tug of war with 5 eager participants on one side and a 30,000lb plane on the other. While it sounds pretty incredible, it is doable! The challenge lies in pulling it a distance of 25ft and hopefully faster than the other teams. There are different divisions for corporate, all-female, and law enforcement (which we were thankful given the size of their team).
After the first round, the top-20 fastest teams compete for the top spots in their division, and ultimately trophies and a year’s worth of bragging rights. The event is definitely a fun outing for the whole family. They have outdoor games for kids (and adults), music and food all while the teams vie for the best times. While the Plane Pull® is fun, it’s really meant to raise money for the SONC. There are prizes for the top fundraising individual, team and even a t-shirt design contest.
Ignite didn’t take home a trophy this year for best time, but, we all feel like winners after doing our part to help this great organization. I highly recommend anyone interested in participating next year to read more about it on the SONC site and get a team together. See you next year on the tarmac!
