United Way takes off with plane pull
By: Ross Romaniuk | United Way in the News | Archive 2009
Share on Facebook |
| Comment |
Email | 
Print
Winnipeg Sun, Saturday September 19, 2009
Reproduced with permission.
Photo: Brian Donogh/Sun Media
They pulled together to give more than 100 Winnipeg nonprofit agencies a lift - even if the planes didn't leave the ground.
Dan Schaefer (right) cheers as the NAV Canada team finishes pulling the 191,000-lb. Boeing 727 during the United Way kickoff
"When times are tough, we pull together. That's a good metaphor for this plane pull," Jeff Zabudsky, chairman of the campaign, said at the kickoff celebration at Red River College's Stevenson Campus on the westside of Richardson International Airport.
The fundraising goal is above the $17.8 million that was set and reached through donations a year ago.
"The goal is higher now because the need is greater," Zabudsky, president of Red River College, said of hardtimes hitting citizens and charitable organizations during the past year’s recession. "We knew we could set thebar higher."
At the sixth annual "plane pull," 40 teams mostly representing companies and institutions of all kindscompeted - some for fun, others more seriously - by trying to pull a 191,000-pound aircraft 10 feet in the shortest possible time.
Among competitive - minded squads, teams representing the 17 Wing Canadian Forces base and the Canad Inns hotel chain took first and second place, respectively.
About 1,500 people took part at the Saskatchewan Avenue hangar complex.
Zabudsky is part a United Way "cabinet," whose members - keeping with the event's education theme - arrived for the launch on a school bus.
Education is one of the United Way of Winnipeg's priorities, in addition to poverty reduction, children's needs and healthy neighbourhoods.
Before either of the two planes were pulled, the campaign was 39% of the way toward its goal with $7.1 million already raised by the United Way’s "pacesetter" groups and companies.
Zabudsky described the Winnipeg chapter as "one of the strongest United Ways in Canada," which he said has risen above some of the cash generating struggles experienced by the organization in other cities and provinces.
"We've seen some difficult challenges within the last year," he said. "In Winnipeg, we didn't suffer that."
