When Kevin Hanahan wanted to help Cisco Systems become the top earner for the 2006 plane pull to benefit Special Olympics of Virginia, he was willing to do anything, even risk donning a dress in public.
"People bet on who you wanted to wear a dress," Hanahan said. "And the team with the votes would have to wear a dress at a public event. And, of course, my team ended up with the most votes."
It was worth it, however, when Cisco Systems raised more than $7,000 last year and became the event’s top earning team, Hanahan said. This year, he said, will have one big difference.
"My ultimate goal is to pump in the most money and win the whole thing," he said. "We are aiming for $20,000 and we’re already at $12,000 so I think we are going to make it."
THE SEPT. 8 EVENT will mark the 15th annual Dulles Day Family Festival and Plane Pull, where 40 teams will compete to see who can pull a full-sized plane the farthest.
"This is the single largest fund-raiser for Special Olympics of Virginia," Michelle Gates, director of development for the organization, said. "It helps us with spreading awareness about people with disabilities and our programs."
Over the last 15 years the event has raised more than $900,000 for Special Olympics and Gates said the goal this year is $125,000.
"The participation has been really strong and sponsorship has been really strong this year," Gates said. "Every year it seems to grow a little bit more."
WHILE MANY of the participating teams have been involved with the plane pull for several years, there are many first-time teams who are getting involved in the annual event.
"This is such a different event," Lori Scott, sales and marketing manager for Gordon Biersch Brewery and Restaurant, said. "It’s a great team building effort for the staff. It’s a way to get involved in the community and give a little back."
For Craig Keish and the Southwest Airlines team, the plane pull was the opportunity to become involved in a community where they established themselves just one year ago.
"Special Olympics is a great organization," Keish, marketing manager for Southwest Airlines Washington Dulles station, said. "Being new to the area, we really want to be the hometown carrier and really become a part of the community."
EACH OF THE organizations that are involved in the plane pull said that doing charity work is a part of the culture of their companies.
"Cisco Systems has always had that as a built-in thing," Hanahan said. "Giving back is something the company always wants to do and they encourage us at the local level to do things. And this is clearly something that we as a team want to support."
Scott said Gordon Biersch has done other charity work over the years.
"We think we’re in a unique position to help out," she said.
For Southwest Airlines, the plane pull was something employees were pushing to be a part of.
"We just missed it last year," Keish said. "So everyone was begging us to get involved this year. They are all extremely happy."