By Staff
August 12, 2016
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington – Hamilton United Way fund raising drive is about to begin with a plane pull – yes an air plane pull at the John C. Munro airport in Hamilton.
There is an impressive line-up of 17 teams that are going to try and pull a cargo plane 50 yards across the tarmac – the Gazette will be there to report on this event.
Former Burlington general manager for Budge and Corporate Services Kim Phillips gave it more than the old college try for the United Way.
Each team will get one opportunity to pull the plane 50 feet across the tarmac in the shortest amount of time. The fastest three teams will participate in a pull-off.
Prizes will be awarded to the three fastest teams, top team and individual fundraisers, and teams with the most spirit.
Not that much representation from Burlington – the Royal Bank will be there and Cumis is has a team ready to pull but no one else from Burlington that we can identify.
The teams pulling on Saturday are:
Canada Bread – Team on the Tarmac, Cargo Jet, CHAM-PLANERS, Community Living Hamilton, CRA, CUMIS/Co-operators Pulling 4U Team, Dream Team, Eva Rothwell Resource Centre, GBT Canada, Marie Grace, Niagara BD, RBC Burlington, SkyLink Express, State Farm United Way 2016, United Way-Ups, UPS Gateway A-TEAM and UPSBDMISSISSAUGA
It takes energy and effort to mobilize a community – in 2011 the Clerks at city Hall in Burlington took the best costume prize and the United Way reached its target. It can be done but it has to involve the community if it is going to be done. Burlington city hall staff showed how to do that in 2011.
Neither the city of Hamilton nor the city of Burlington was on the list.
Former Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina will be giving the opening remarks
The United Way has decided to move away from creating a target number of dollars and will focus on telling the story of the number of people they help and the many different ways they do so.
Shirley Thomas Weir and Mark Chabot will be co-chairing the drive this year.
