The Smile Generation Plane Pull presented by United Airlines is back for 2024!
Signature Aviation at Denver Int’l Airport
Saturday, August 24, 2024
Teams of up to 25 will compete to pull a United Airlines airplane 12 feet
across the tarmac for the fastest time.
*Please note there is one location this year!
2023 Denver Plane Pull Highlights
5 WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Create or join a team with Friends, Family, and Coworkers.
Team minimum is $1,250.
Don’t have a team but want to participate? Register as an individual and the fundraising minimum is $100
Raise awareness for athletes with intellectual disabilities
Expand your customer reach through our network
Brand your company as a strong corporate citizen
Can’t attend but want to change a life? It costs Special Olympics CO $224 for one athlete to participate for one year. Every dollar matters. Make a donation today.
How Your Donation Helps
Every dollar raised through the Plane Pull will help fund Special Olympics programs in your community. Our mission is to provide sport and healthy living opportunities to children and adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) throughout the Centennial State. In fact, we support more than 23,000 athletes across four regions. Meet some of the incredible Special Olympics Colorado athletes who rely on donor support in our programs.
Fundraising Toolkit
Once you register, set a fundraising goal! Then customize your registration page with your photos and share “WHY” you’re participating in the Plane Pull in support of Special Olympics Colorado. If you’ve participated before make sure you share those photos on your socials and share your cool experience.
WRITE A LETTER
Letter writing is a great way to raise a lot of money in a short amount of time! If you are sending a letter, be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
SENDING EMAILS
Write personal emails to your family, friends, and co-workers and let them know you are participating, ask for a donation or ask them to join your team.
Tips & Tricks
– Make the ask early and often!
– Make it easy for people to donate! Send everyone an email with a link to your fundraising page.
– Make it personal, rather than sending a mass email. Tell your story. Share with others why you participate, whether it’s just for fun or because you love Special Olympics Colorado.
– If you’ve Pulled the Plane before, share a picture of your previous pull of glory. If it’s your first time, share your nerves and excitement!
– Have fun with it! Make a contest or game out of it – the first person to donate, or the largest donation gets a gift from you!
– Follow-up. Be sure to say thank you to donors after they make their donation, and again after you take on the Plane Pull. Send them a picture of you Pulling with your fundraising results from the event.
Before hitting up your co-workers for a donation, see if you can form a company team instead. It’s a fun team building opportunity, and wearing your company t-shirts is a great way to maximize exposure!
– Find out about matching gift policies at your company. Some companies match employee fundraising, while others match donations made by employees. This is an easy way to double your donations!
– Have your donors find out about their companies matching gift policy to see if their donation will be matched.
– Host a “Casual for a Cause” day at work. Employees can donate a set amount to wear jeans and funds raised support your team.
Additional workplace fundraising ideas include:
– Set out a candy jar and ask for change each time they take a piece
– Purchase bottles of water and pop at wholesale and put in the company lunchroom. Charge $1 for drinks and any profit can go to your fundraising efforts.
– Link your fundraising page to your social media accounts asking for donations.
– Send personalized emails or Facebook messages rather than mass emails. Always follow-up via phone.
– Ask your supporters about matching funds from their employers.
– Personal Assistant for a day – Offer to run errands, babysit, organize, clean a fridge, dog-sit, etc. for a donation to your plunge.
– Bake Sale – Bring baked goods into your workplace and raise money toward your Plunge.
– Sports Bracket or Pools – Organize weekend game brackets. Charge a fee, with a split of proceeds to the winner.
– Change Collection – Set up a collection jar at your workplace or ask friends for spare change.
– Bar/Restaurant Night – Ask a local restaurant to donate proceeds to your plunge or put out a change jar.
Day 1 – Make a $20 donation to yourself to get started!
Day 2 – Send an e-mail to three friends asking them for a $10 contribution
Day 3 – Ask one parent and one sibling for a $10 contribution
Day 4 – Bring a pledge sheet to work and ask co-workers for $10 to support your fundraising goal
Day 5 – Send an e-mail to four family friends and relatives asking for a donation
Day 6 – Ask two people at your favorite hangout, restaurant or tavern for a $5 donation
Day 7 – Post on Facebook asking for a $10 donation to help you reach your fundraising goal
- Getting Started
-
Once you register, set a fundraising goal! Then customize your registration page with your photos and share “WHY” you’re participating in the Plane Pull in support of Special Olympics Colorado. If you’ve participated before make sure you share those photos on your socials and share your cool experience.
- Email Template
-
WRITE A LETTER
Letter writing is a great way to raise a lot of money in a short amount of time! If you are sending a letter, be sure to include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
SENDING EMAILS
Write personal emails to your family, friends, and co-workers and let them know you are participating, ask for a donation or ask them to join your team.
Tips & Tricks
– Make the ask early and often!
– Make it easy for people to donate! Send everyone an email with a link to your fundraising page.
– Make it personal, rather than sending a mass email. Tell your story. Share with others why you participate, whether it’s just for fun or because you love Special Olympics Colorado.
– If you’ve Pulled the Plane before, share a picture of your previous pull of glory. If it’s your first time, share your nerves and excitement!
– Have fun with it! Make a contest or game out of it – the first person to donate, or the largest donation gets a gift from you!
– Follow-up. Be sure to say thank you to donors after they make their donation, and again after you take on the Plane Pull. Send them a picture of you Pulling with your fundraising results from the event.
- Workplace Giving
-
Before hitting up your co-workers for a donation, see if you can form a company team instead. It’s a fun team building opportunity, and wearing your company t-shirts is a great way to maximize exposure!
– Find out about matching gift policies at your company. Some companies match employee fundraising, while others match donations made by employees. This is an easy way to double your donations!
– Have your donors find out about their companies matching gift policy to see if their donation will be matched.
– Host a “Casual for a Cause” day at work. Employees can donate a set amount to wear jeans and funds raised support your team.
Additional workplace fundraising ideas include:
– Set out a candy jar and ask for change each time they take a piece
– Purchase bottles of water and pop at wholesale and put in the company lunchroom. Charge $1 for drinks and any profit can go to your fundraising efforts.
- Other Fundraising Ideas
-
– Link your fundraising page to your social media accounts asking for donations.
– Send personalized emails or Facebook messages rather than mass emails. Always follow-up via phone.
– Ask your supporters about matching funds from their employers.
– Personal Assistant for a day – Offer to run errands, babysit, organize, clean a fridge, dog-sit, etc. for a donation to your plunge.
– Bake Sale – Bring baked goods into your workplace and raise money toward your Plunge.
– Sports Bracket or Pools – Organize weekend game brackets. Charge a fee, with a split of proceeds to the winner.
– Change Collection – Set up a collection jar at your workplace or ask friends for spare change.
– Bar/Restaurant Night – Ask a local restaurant to donate proceeds to your plunge or put out a change jar.
- Raise $150 in ONE WEEK!
-
Day 1 – Make a $20 donation to yourself to get started!
Day 2 – Send an e-mail to three friends asking them for a $10 contribution
Day 3 – Ask one parent and one sibling for a $10 contribution
Day 4 – Bring a pledge sheet to work and ask co-workers for $10 to support your fundraising goal
Day 5 – Send an e-mail to four family friends and relatives asking for a donation
Day 6 – Ask two people at your favorite hangout, restaurant or tavern for a $5 donation
Day 7 – Post on Facebook asking for a $10 donation to help you reach your fundraising goal
Don’t have 25 people on your team? We are here to help!
We will have athlete and volunteer pullers on standby if your team does not meet the 25-person minimum to pull the plane.
Please note your team still needs to reach the $1,250 fundraising minimum to participate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click Here to view line up, it is subject to change and will be updated regularly as teams sign up.
Sunscreen, sneakers with good support, hat, depending on the weather, lightweight clothes, sunglasses. Gloves for pulling the plane will be provided. Make it fun and rock a team costume or team t-shirt!
Teams of up to 25 people will pull a United Airlines plane 12 feet across the tarmac. While 25 adults are needed to move the plane, you don’t have to fill up the roster on your own!
If you don’t have enough people, we will have Special Olympics CO superhero athletes on standby to make up the difference needed. Trophies for the fastest team per category will be awarded.
Want to have some fun without worrying about the trophy? Our non-competitive teams can have 25 or more adults and children on the team. Each adult/child must be registered.
We welcome children of all abilities! Participants should be able to safely engage in the activity with the help of their parent/guardian. Parents/guardians are required to complete their waiver in advance to ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment. Children are considered as one of the members of the team.
Water bottle, sunscreen, any cash or check donations collected.
Not permitted: no personal tents, personal coolers, alcohol, or other substances.
Service dogs are permitted.
Lots of vendors with giveaways and small bites, activities for kids in the Young Athlete Adventure Zone, food trucks and more!
VIP Tent sponsored by Kaiser Permanente – for teams who raise $5,000+ by event day and corporate sponsors at this level or higher. Enjoy a shaded space with tables and seating, small bites, and smoothies!
Portable toilets available either in the parking lot, on the tarmac or inside the building.
Yes, there will be food trucks and vendors with small bites and beverages.