Sean Rabinowitz, of Branford, led his team, Procyon Partners, a financial firm based in Shelton, in Special Olympics Connecticut’s first annual Plane Pull at Tweed New Haven Airport last year, pulling an Avelo Airlines Boeing Next-Generation 737 jetliner 20 feet in the fastest time, as his son, Ben, then 7, cheered him on.
“That night, my son was diagnosed with leukemia,” Rabinowitz recalled.
His wife, Kara, called Rabinowitz and told him to come to Yale New Haven Hospital after doctors broke the news of their son’s blood results.
“It was one of the best days and the worst,” he recalled. “Ben was in the hospital for eight months. He’s doing great now. He’s in complete remission.”
Rabinowitz, who is a board member for Special Olympics Connecticut, gathered his teammates together again for the second annual Plane Pull on Tuesday. “This is an eclectic group of guys,” he said.
The team includes Monroe First Selectman Terry Rooney, Rabinowitz’s friend of 20 years, and several friends he had played football and rugby with over the years.
“We did a lot of fundraising for all things revolving around children,” Rooney said of his friendship with Rabinowitz.
Sharon Rozum, senior director of corporate sponsorships for Special Olympics Connecticut, said 13 teams of 15-to-20 players competed last year and 16 teams took on the challenge this year.
“This event helps support 12,000-plus athletes and unified partners here in Connecticut,” she said.
Each team must raise a minimum of $2,000 to compete in the Plane Pull. In addition to raising money to support Connecticut’s Special Olympians, Rozum said the winning team would receive a trophy and each member would receive a free round trip ticket, compliments of Avelo Airlines.
There is also a prize for the team that raises the most money.
Last year, the Plane Pull raised close to $50,000 and Rozum expects donations to reach about $60,000 this year.
Rozum established Special Olympics Connecticut’s relationship with Avelo soon after the airline came to Tweed New Haven Airport.
“We were sending a team of nearly 50 athletes to Orlando, Florida, for the USA Special Olympic games,” she recalled. “They were new to Connecticut and we were going to different destinations in Florida. I read about them and thought, ‘what a great partnership it would be.'”
Rozum reached out and Avelo gave the nonprofit complimentary flights taking their athletes to and from the 2022 games.
“At the time, we talked about other ways we could partner with Avelo and the Plane Pull was suggested,” she said. “This is the second annual Plane Pull and we have plans to keep it going.”
Avelo allows Special Olympics Connecticut to use the airplane and Tweed New Haven Airport agreed to be the host.
“Together we make this happen,” Rozum said.
Avports, the company that manages the airport facility, also makes the event possible. Major sponsors include LAZ Parking, Aercap, Michelina’s Apizza Ristorante and Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast.
Michelina’s donated pizzas and G Cafe Bakery also donated food.
A confident team
Teams had been straining to pull the 737 jetliner from 9 a.m. until the late afternoon and by the time it was Procyon Partners’ turn, Parkers Revenge was in first place with a time of 7:34 seconds.
Procyon Partners members were feeling confident of a repeat, because last year their time was 7:19 seconds. But they still had to do it. The team walked through the gate and onto the tarmac.
The 737 jetliner was in place and team members took hold of a long rope. They went on to position themselves for leverage, while pulling the plane with all their might, rolling it forward.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, Procyon Partners could not match last year’s time or even reach 20 feet quicker than Parkers Revenge. They finished with a time of 8:07 seconds, good enough for a seventh place finish.
While disappointed, they still had helped raise money for a worthy cause.
The final standings were:
- Parkers Revenge, 7:34
- Tweed HVN, 7:46
- Team NPD, 7:54
- Motivators, 7:60
- Coca-Cola, 7:83
- Waterbury PD, 7:96
- Procyon, 8:07
- SRSWAT, 8:23
- Avelo, 8:58
- Rolling Thunder, 8:96
- Marcum, 9:27
- Guardian Jet, 9:96
- Strength Haven, 10:53
- CSG, 11:34
For information about Special Olympics Connecticut or to make a donation, click here to visit the nonprofit’s website.
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