Ready, Set, Pull! Community Members Pull In Donations for Alpha Resource Center
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Over the weekend, the Santa Barbara Airport hosted the 5th annual Plane Pull, where groups of locals, organizations, and first responders step up to the challenge to raise money for the local disabled community.
The challenge? Pulling a 140,000 pound Alaska Airline 737 as far as you can once you hear the airhorn.
The event has grown in popularity over the years, for both participants and spectators. Each team is made of 10 to 25 people, pulling in thousands of dollars towards Alpha Resource Center.
Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara is dedicated to assisting and supporting those with intellectual disabilities and similar developmental disabilities. Executive director of Alpha Resource Center, Joshua Weitzman, says funds raised by the plane pull ensures everyone in the community has access to the same opportunities.
"It's really important to us as an organization to see the community get involved with the developmentally disabled community, because so often it's a group of people that can kind of go unnoticed and so this is an opportunity for people to see that you know having a developmental disability doesn't make you that much different," said Weitzman.
"Small supports get you a long way and you get a chance to meet some people that maybe you wouldn't otherwise meet and see how we all make up the Santa Barbara community."
The aircraft was donated by Alaska Airlines, with a special Disney Toontown theme this year.
"Alaska really likes to step in and be making sure that we're supporting everyone, and this is what we do by partner with Alpha Resource Center, and we are here to help the community come around and rally as we pull so everybody can soar and we can raise funds for Alpha Resource Center. The programs, they have great culinary programs, day programs, and all sorts of things to help the community who may need a little bit of extra help or need to find out where their resources are," said Adrienne Phillip with Alaska Airlines.
Participants big and small helped raise $32,528 as of Monday, October 26, with Hope School District taking home the 1st place title.
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