BROOMFIELD, Colo. – The Special Olympics Colorado Plane Pull will look a little bit different this year – and be in a different location.
Denver7 is proud to once again be a sponsor of this event which raises thousands of dollars to support Special Olympics Colorado athletes every year.
In order to keep everybody safe during the pandemic, this year’s event has been modified to include smaller teams pulling a smaller plane. Mountain Aviation has arranged for teams of ten to pull a 64,000-pound Gulfstream IV.
“Typically we do 25 people pulling the plane, but because of COVID we had to scale it way down and do 10 people,” Jan Gordon, vice president of Special Olympics Colorado told Denver7. “We think it’s going to be perfect.”
Other changes include moving the event to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield and limiting the number of people who will be onsite at any one time. Organizers have been working closely with the Jefferson County Public Health Department to develop protocols for safe social distancing and masks to ensure the safety of participants.
The pandemic has taken a toll on Special Olympics Colorado’s programming, but being able to plan an event like this where everyone can come together and see each other has been a bit of a bright spot.
“We’ve literally had to cancel all our competitions until the end of the year, we’re just doing inter squad competitions and practices,” Gordon said. “Still to be together out here and to stay safe and stay far away but to be together, it just fills our hearts.”
Special Olympics Colorado has all the safety protocols listed in detail on their website. That’s also where you can learn more about how the money raised benefits the organization.
Denver7 has put together a team to pull the plane again this year. Click on this link to donate to the Denver7 Gives 360 team.