Hundreds Of Airport Employees Pull Eagles Team Jet For Charity
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA, Pa (CBS) --- Hundreds of US Airways employees put their work aside for a few hours today to take part in the company's eighth annual jet pull competition.
Teams of 20 people took turns tugging on a rope attached to the 50-ton aluminum, steel, and titanium Philadelphia Eagles team jet.
For the competitors it was an exhilarating ten second burst of muscle and adrenaline.
"It felt like I just pulled some weight off myself. I feel a thousand pounds lighter," one of the participants said.
The event is designed in part to build morale, but more importantly, says US Airways VP Bob Ciminelli, the goal is to raise money for charity.
"It's a competition between our three hubs, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Phoenix. We have over 30 teams here today. It's $200 a team, and we donate to the United Way of Philadelphia and New Jersey. Our company goal is $1.4 million."
There's also the goal of bragging rights. The winning team generally clocks in with a time of a little over four seconds.
