THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609290088
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 72 lines
Musclebound 20-member teams threw their collective power into raising money for the Virginia Special Olympics on Saturday, straining to pull a 70-ton airplane 12 feet down the tarmac faster than their opponents.
Chesapeake sheriff's deputies came in first, clocking 6.07 seconds and besting Chesapeake police by only .02 of a second.
In another heat to see which team could pull the plane with the lowest combined body weight, Hampton police pitted 1,130 people-pounds against the big Boeing 727 and took first place, out-pulling the Muscle Beach East Gym team, whose members weighed in at 1,200 pounds.
But the real winners of the innovative fund-raiser were Virginia's Special Olympians. The mentally retarded children and adults will benefit from the effort by more than $12,000.
A dozen teams, most of them area law enforcement officers, collected the $1,000 entry fee from local businesses and organizations.
All told, more than $55,000 has been collected in the region's year-long project to raise money for the organization. Added to what the state's other 11 regions have tallied, the Virginia Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics approaches $400,000.
Chesapeake now holds the state title for airplane pulling, as the deputies beat out the United Airlines Ground Power Unit team from Washington, the former champion.
Chesapeake Sheriff John Newhart, who coordinated the event, speculated about the success of his team.
``Might be they're eating that good home cooking,'' he said. ``There are some good cooks out there.''
The Law Enforcement Communities of Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore hosted the morning plane pull at Norfolk International Airport.
``We're going to win!'' Norfolk police coach Bob McElhiney told his team. ``It's one-two-three pull and you can be moving the plane.''
Revved up, Brian Guertler yanked on a pair of yellow leather gloves, hoisted the 3-inch-thick rope and braced his right foot against the pavement.
The 6-foot-5 Norfolk police officer took a few power breaths, bared his clenched teeth and threw his 328 pounds into the challenge.
It took 30-year-old Guertler and his 19 teammates 7 seconds to strong-arm the big plane 12 feet.
The Norfolk team pulled first, and spirits were high as they waited to see how their rivals fared.
But the hopeful faces fell when Chesapeake sheriff's deputies, up second, yanked on the 100-foot-long rope and budged the Boeing the required distance nearly a second faster.
At 305 pounds, Chesapeake sheriff's deputy William Hargather was the clear anchor man of the team.
``Hey, they were good, but not good enough,'' said the 6-foot-6 Hargather after the win.
Brad Kirby, a 22-year-old Chesapeake deputy, gave away the team secret: They'd practiced on a firetruck loaded with water.
``Firetruck was harder to pull than that,'' said Kirby, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Another deputy said he thought they should all get the night off for their efforts. The winners thumped one another on their muscle-bound chests and backs.
And then, Chesapeake sheriff's deputies bested Chesapeake police officers in an impromptu tug-of-war. ILLUSTRATION: MOTOYA NAKAMURA photos, The Virginian-Pilot
The Norfolk Police Department team drags a Boeing 727 at Norfolk
International Airport on Saturday to raise money for the Virginia
Special Olympics. The Norfolk team - which tugged the plane in 7
seconds - were hopeful for victory until the Chesapeake sheriff's
deputies bested the mark by nearly a second.
The Chesapeake sheriff's deputies were winners in the plane pull: 20
men, 70 tons, 12 feet. More than $12,000 was raised for the Virginia
Special Olympics. by CNB