Today, at the 32nd annual Dulles Plane Pull and Festival, Special Olympics Virginia, along with over 80 participating teams, raised $580,000 to support our athletes. Held at Dulles Airport, this event has been sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department since its inception in 1992. Thousands of people joined us on the ropes to pull two planes: a FedEx cargo aircraft and a United Airlines passenger jet.
This year, over 12,000 people attended the event, which featured a range of activities beyond the Plane Pull itself, including aircraft displays, classic car shows, tours of mobile lounges, and fire truck rides. The Dulles Plane Pull has grown into a key fundraiser for our organization, raising nearly $5.5 million in support of more than 21,000 Special Olympics Virginia athletes over its 32-year history.
The heart of the event, the Plane Pull, saw teams of 25 competing to pull an 82-ton plane 12 feet in the fastest time. Key results from the day’s competition include:
- Youth Challenge: KR Unified
- Raising Cane's Spirit Award: 123Junk
- Heaviest Team: Chesapeake Sheriff's Office
- Lightest Team: Bechtel
- Top Unified Team: Fairfax County Police Department
- Slowest Plane (United): Bechtel
- Slowest Pull (FedEx): GDIT 1
- 3rd Place Most Money Raised: Amazon Web Services Security
- 3rd Place Fastest Pull (United): Turner x PGAL
- 3rd Place Fastest Pull (FedEx): Prince William County Sheriff's Office
- 2nd Place Most Money Raised: Cisco
- 2nd Place Fastest Pull (United): Fauquier County Sheriff's Office
- 2nd Place Fastest Pull (FedEx): Prince William County Adult Detention Center
- Most Enthusiastic Law Enforcement Team: Chesapeake Sheriff's Office
- Highest Fundraising Law Enforcement Team: Fauquier County Law Enforcement
- 1st Place Most Money Raised: Fauquier County Sheriff's Office
- Fastest Pull (United): United Airlines 2
- Fastest Pull (FedEx): Chesapeake Sheriff's Office
Thanks to the support of our community, sponsors, and dedicated participants, this event remains one of our most impactful fundraisers, directly benefiting the athletes of Special Olympics Virginia. We are already looking forward to another successful Plane Pull next year!