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Community Corner

Bridgewater Team Pulling a Plane for Special Olympics

Bridgewater teen Brett Locker and his team of 20 will be pulling a Boeing 737 (weighing over 93,000 lbs.) on the United Airlines tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport's Family Day, October 5, 2013.

The event raises money for The Special Olympics New Jersey, a non-profit organization that provides year-round sports training and athletic competition to children and adults with intellectual disabilities throughout the state. More than 23,000 athletes enjoy camaraderie and gain a sense of pride and accomplishment through participating in these events.

Brett is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah in October at Temple Beth-El in Hillsborough, NJ. As a part of the planning, students are encouraged to perform a “Mitzvah Project,” or acts of kindness through personally meaningful ways, to help make the world a better place.

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Brett is an avid hockey and lacrosse player, so to help those with disabilities receive sports training and assistance was a natural fit. “I wanted to do something more than collect donations. This will be fun and will help others with sports programs, which is a big part of my life.”

Brett and his family learned about the event through fellow Bridgewater Resident Michelle Waiser who has been involved with Special Olympics of NJ for many years. She has led teams for the Plane Pull, and the Snow Bowl, a flag football tournament at Met Life Stadium in Rutherford, held in March.

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Waiser is a huge advocate and supporter of the organization and has a daughter, Jadyn, who is diagnosed with autism.

"I love being able to share my experiences from SONJ with everyone. The fact that Brett and his family were so eager to jump on board for the Plane Pull, just confirms that all my hard work and dedication does make a difference. I am thrilled to have Brett reaching out and being part of the Green Giants team...a fantastic Mitzvah project." Says Waiser.

For the Plane Pull, each team captain leads his or her team through three competitions: 1) Top Fundraiser, 2) Fastest Pull: Entire team pulls the aircraft 12 feet in the least amount of time possible, and  3) Lowest Combined Weight Pull: Lowest team weight and number of people to pull the aircraft 12 feet, within a two minute time limit.

The event is a lot of fun and Michelle and Brett’s team is well on their way to raising over $5,000.

For more information, visit: http://tinyurl.com/brettplanepull

Donations can also be sent to: Special Olympics New Jersey, Attn: Plane Pull – Green Giants, 3 Princess Road Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

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