READY, SET, PULL! FRIENDS OF ONTARIO AIRPORT AND ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HOST 5TH ANNUAL PLANE PULL FOR USO AND LOCAL NON-PROFITS

(Ontario, CA --- November 13, 2013) Back by popular demand, the Friends of Ontario Airport and Ontario International Airport (ONT) will host the 5th Annual “Pull for Our Heroes” plane pull competition on Nov. 16 benefiting the USO Ontario and other non-profit organizations including Travelers Aid of the Inland Empire, Baldy View ROP Foundation and ONT’s educational outreach programs.

The plane pull is a fun and competitive team-building tug-of-war exercise pitting teams of men and women against a 120,000 lb. 727 aircraft.  Each team of 20 will have two attempts to pull the 727 a distance of 25 feet.  The winners will have a year’s bragging rights to Fastest Pull, Most Creative Team Name, Top Fundraising Team, and Slowest Pull.

            “This is the biggest fundraiser event held annually at the airport by the Friends of Ontario Airport and ONT’s Community & Public Relations Division,” said Airport Manager Jess Romo.  “Last year, there were over 650 participants and attendees.  It’s great to see overwhelming support for the plane pull.”

Past teams include United Parcel Service, City of Ontario, Ontario USO, Los Angeles International Airport, Ontario Police Officers Association, Niagara Bottling LLC, Hilton Ontario Airport, Frito-Lay Inc., Kaiser Permanente, Eric the Trainer Corp. and PepsiCo.

            The event is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.  Free parking is available in Lot F, on the corner of Airport Dr. and Vineyard Ave.

            ONT is located in Southern California’s “Inland Empire” region, approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, and close to Orange County’s Disneyland and other major theme parks, San Gabriel Valley, and Palm Springs. It is a medium-hub, full-service airport with 7 carriers offering daily nonstop flights to 13 major U.S. cities plus daily non-stops to Guadalajara, Mexico, making ONT the Inland Empire’s preferred airport for nonstop flights throughout the West. In addition to scheduled passenger service, ONT is a major cargo hub and handled more than 447,230 tons of cargo in 2012. For more information about ONT, visit www.flyontario.com , like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONTAirport , and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ONT_Official.