Cascade Township, Mich. — It was a tug-of-war of sorts Saturday at the airport between man and a 220,000 pound machine. But in the end, it was all for a good cause.
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport marked 50 years Saturday with 'Airport Day' and 'Plane Pull' to benefit the Special Olympics of Michigan.
The 'Plane Pull' stacked teams of 25 against a FedEx jet to see which team could pull it the farthest in the fastest amount of time. Proceeds from that fundraiser are being donated in part to the Special Olympics of Michigan which helps thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities statewide.
"Across the state we have close to 21,000 athletes that are involved with Special Olympics Michigan and they don't have to pay a single cent to be involved with anything and so all the events throughout the year go toward helping them do things they love to do," said Aaron Mills.
Sandy Uthoff, a mother of a Special Olympics athlete, said the event hits home.
"It's great promotion for both… there's a lot to celebrate for the airport and it's great for Special Olympics, brings them up in the front," she said. "It makes me feel good because it brings awareness of these kids and the efforts they put into it."
