Wings of Hope’s inaugural Pulling for Hope fundraiser took place on October 14 — a windy Saturday that started off rainy — on the tarmac outside the Wings of Hope hangar. But the chilly conditions couldn’t cool the enthusiasm of the eight teams participating in the organization’s first-ever plane pull: Team Fabick Cat, Board Plane Pullers (Wings of Hope Board of Directors), AVMATS Afterburners, Heirloom Wealth Partners, Husch Blackwell Law Firm, Wing Dings, Secure Data Technologies, and UHY Advisors & ADB Companies.

The teams, who each raised a minimum of $1,000 for their chance to pull a 15-ton (including tug) Sabreliner jet in a 30-foot timed pull, egged each other on in a friendly competition to claim bragging rights for the fastest time.

Each team had two chances to pull and record their lowest time.

UHY Advisors & ADB Companies won with a time of 11.22 seconds — just a fraction ahead of Secure Data who came in at 11.27 seconds and AVMATS Afterburners who secured third place with a time of 11.73 seconds.

Volunteers kept the races moving along, while guests cheered on their favorite teams and noshed on a variety of offerings from food trucks: Pappy’s Smokehouse, Wayno’s Mobile International Cuisine and Lily’s Café Ice Cream Truck. Teams and spectators escaped the cold in the Wings of Hope hangar, where they enjoyed music from DJ Carlos Suarez, a disc throw game and Party Animals Mobile stuff-a-bears for purchase.

The event was possible through generous support from the following sponsors: Dierbergs, AVMATS, Signature Aviation, Spirit of St. Louis Airport and St. Luke’s Hospital.