Teams turn out to pull planes, help Special Olympics

Rusty Rae/News-Register## Team PMS (Plane Moving Sisters) competes Saturday in the Special Olympics Plane Pull at Evergreen Air and Space Museum. From right are Jennifer Leslie, Mikalie Marino, Katy Farman, Pam Ramsey, Michelle De Oliveira, Tori Fay and (hidden) Becky Neumann. All are current or past employees of Yamhill County, Team PMS competed among 55 teams in the day-long event, which has raised more than $95,000 surpassing its $80,000 goal and the $71,000 raised in 2021 by 35 teams. Funds go to help Special Olympics athletes travel to competitions.

Rusty Rae/News-Register## Sergeant Jeff Kutter of the Yamhill Sheriff's Department was at the plane pull to assist event organizers, but gave a helping hand to several teams who were struggling to get the 36,000 pound NASA passenger jet moving. Kutter is also an assistant football coach at Yamhill Carlton High School.

Rusty Rae/News-Register## Team You Can't Boat With Us hoists the thick rope attached to the NASA jet, and pulls as one while competing in the Special Olympic Plane Pull Saturday at Evergreen

Rusty Rae/News-Register## Misti Miller of Salem and Gwen Johnson of Sherwood, members of the Plane Pull organizing team, change cards with team times at Saturday's Plane Pull Event. Score cards had velcro on their backs and the two juggled the cards back and forth as new results were reported.

Fifty-five teams turned out Saturday to move airplanes and, more importantly, raise money for Oregon Special Olympics.

They raised more than $95,000, surpassing their goal of $80,000. They also beat the 2021 Plane Pull record, when 35 teams raised $71,000.

The annual Plane Pull was held at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum campus. The "planes" in question included a NASA jet as well as smaller aircraft.

The event capped off a day of activities at the museum campus. The morning started with the annual Champions Run, which honors first responders and firefighters near the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.