Pull a Plane to Support a Cause

The Annual Dulles Day Festival and Plane Pull is set for this Saturday at the Dulles International Airport. The event is presented by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and is the biggest fundraiser of the year for Special Olympics Virginia.

The event will be on more than 100 acres of tarmac at the FedEx Terminal at the airport.

Doors will open for the festival at 10:30 a.m. and teams of 25 will begin their attempt at pulling an 82 ton plane at least 12 feet for charity at 11 a.m. Besides the plane pull, other festivities include a kids truck pull, food, pizza eating contest, car show and air show.

“This is the 20th anniversary of the Plane Pull,” said Rick Jeffrey, president of Special Olympics Virginia. “It’s a corporate event, and it’s a family and kid-friendly event.”

Each team has to raise $1,250, or $50 per person, to participate. For the kids truck pull, each child must raise a minimum of $10.

Jeffrey said the festival and plane pull brings in more than $150,000, but the Law Enforcement Torch Run — a fundraising and awareness organization created by law enforcement officers — raises money for the Special Olympics year-round.

“Since 1986, LETR has raised $14 million for Special Olympics,and the Dulles Plane Pull is a part of that,” said Jeffrey.   

Jeffrey said they expect this year’s event to bring in between 12,000 and 15,000 participants and spectators. The festival and plane pull is a rain or shine event and will end at 4 p.m.