Pulling For Hope in cancer fight

Tug-of-war just plane fun

A tug for hope, not war, broke out in the fight against cancer yesterday as 17 crews picked up a rope and pulled a JetBlue airplane outside Logan International Airport in a feat-of-strength fundraising effort.

“It was great; it was for a good cause,” said 42-year-old Steve Simpson, an aircraft maintenance supervisor for JetBlue who was on the winning team, JetBlue Maintenance. “We knew we’d take it. We knew we had a lot of strong men that could pull that airplane.”

Simpson’s crew hauled the 132,000 pound aircraft, an Airbus A-320, 24 feet in 9.10 seconds in the championship round. Most teams posted times in the 14-second range.

The American Cancer Society’s Pulling For Hope of Boston fundraiser hosted the competition for the fourth time. Each team had a max of 20 members. In total, 20 teams raised about $88,000: money for the cause.

ACS partnered with JetBlue and Massport for the event, who both immediately got on board with the idea, having seen it done in other places around the country, four years ago.

“American Cancer Society does a lot of events throughout the year in New England, and we’re always looking for new and innovative things to do to get the community involved,” said Louise Santosuosso, the executive director for the American Cancer Society in eastern New England. “We’ve had a great partnership with Massport and JetBlue, and with their help, we’ve put this event together successfully.”

Julie Hall, a 10-year Stage 3 breast cancer survivor from Franklin, competed in the event with Team AT&T and said “to be able to survive cancer and then pull a plane is pretty cool.”

“Me being a 10-year survivor, I think it gives hope to other people that are going to treatment now,” Hall said of the event. “I know that when I was diagnosed, it was frustrating. People weren’t sure how long you’re going to live, and you start questioning everything. Ten years later, I’m healthier than I was before I was diagnosed with cancer. My dad got diagnosed July 1 with Stage 3 lung cancer, so I’m out here pulling for him, too.”

STAFF PHOTOS BY NICOLAUS CZARNECKI RAISING $$, SPIRITS: Team Wicked Jeeps pulls a commercial jet as hundreds take part in the JetBlue Pulling For Hope of Boston fundraiser for the American Cancer Society yesterday. Team Angels Wings, below, and Team Vera Care, bottom right, test their strength for the charity.

THE LONG HAUL: Boston Bruins mascot Blades helps Team Bruins, above, as Aisha Brown, right, celebrates her team’s victory at Logan International Airport yesterday.