Hundreds of people gathered on the tarmac at Chicago O'Hare International Airport to put their muscle behind a good cause, competing in a tug-of-war event that had teams pulling an actual United Airlines 737 down the runway. The plane weighs more than 95,000 pounds, and organizers set a modest but grueling goal: haul it 12 feet as fast as possible.
More than 110 teams were expected to take part, according to ABC7 Chicago, with each squad allowed up to 20 people and required to raise at least $1,000 to enter. The event opened with a ceremony before teams took their turns straining against the aircraft, all in support of Special Olympics Illinois. For some participants, the outlet reported, the Plane Pull has become something of a tradition — a once-a-year chance to test their strength for a cause they keep coming back to.
Where the Money Goes
Every dollar raised through the event benefits Special Olympics Illinois athletes, according to soill.org. The organization says it offers year-round training and competition across 18 sports, serving more than 21,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities along with 9,000 Young Athletes between the ages of 2 and 7. Its own materials describe the Plane Pull format simply: teams try to move an aircraft 12 feet as fast as they can, with all proceeds funneled back into programming for those athletes.
That mission extends well beyond a single fundraiser. Per the organization's toolkit materials, Special Olympics Illinois frames its work as providing year-round opportunities not just in competitive sports but in health education, leadership, and personal development for athletes across the state.
Part of a Broader Fundraising Circuit
O'Hare isn't the only airport in the state hosting this kind of event. Illinois also held the Second Annual Southern Plane Pull at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport this year on April 25, organized by the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run alongside Special Olympics Illinois, according to flymidamerica.com. That competition pitted teams of 10 against a 44,000-pound GoJet aircraft, with each team needing to raise a minimum of $500 to compete.
Similar plane-pull fundraisers have popped up elsewhere in the country too. Last September, hundreds gathered at Long Beach Airport for a Special Olympics Southern California version of the event, where groups of 25 competed to pull a 124,000-pound UPS jet 12 feet as fast as possible, according to presstelegram.com. The format has become a recognizable annual tradition in the Special Olympics fundraising calendar, giving everyday teams — coworkers, families, and friend groups — a chance to do something a little absurd in service of a cause that trains and competes with thousands of athletes year-round.
