Thursday 28 March 2024

DHL Express Plane Pull 3 for Puttinu Cares

For the third successive year, DHL Express, in association with the Phoenix Sports Club, is organising Plane Pull Malta, with the chosen charity to benefit from all proceeds being the Puttinu Cares Foundation.
Plane Pull Malta 3 is being held on Wednesday, 21 September, 2016 (a national holiday), from 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Safi Aviation Park (Gate 8). All one needs to do to take part in Plane Pull Malta – whether individually or as a group/team – is to download the form from the Facebook page Plane Pull Malta, fill it in and bring it along on the day. Alternatively, book your preferred time in advance by sending the form to  info@psc.com.mt.
So whether you want to come on your own or as a group of friends or work colleagues, you face the challenge of having to pull a DHL Express Boeing 757-200 Freighter aircraft, which weighs around 60 tons, a distance of 20 metres in the shortest time possible. The best time recorded last year was that of the 23 men from V. Spiteri & Sons with 19.84 seconds.
Commenting on this latest edition of the Plane Pull, Charles Schiavone, Manager of DHL Express Malta, explained: “Our goal once again this year is to raise as much as possible for our chosen charity. This needs to be achieved while respecting all the regulations within Malta International Airport’s perimeter for health, safety and security of all those involved.
“All those who volunteer to come to pull the aircraft must be aware that the plane’s engines will be on and there will be an engineer in the pilot’s seat, since he will need to apply the brakes at the end of each pull. In addition, there will be another engineer on the ground to give the other engineer directions.”
Once one team of people have successfully pulled the aircraft, another team will be invited to pull the plane for 20 metres. Mr Schiavone said that, after six teams pulled the aircraft a total of 120 metres in 2014, the number of participants doubled last year, with more than 10 groups and one individual taking part. Some €4,000 were collected for charity in the first two editions and the target is to surpass the figure of €2,500 collected last year.
DHL Express has been operating in Malta since 1983. It currently employs over 60 full and part time staff, servicing a comprehensive list of local and international clients, and operates from a dedicated logistics centre at Malta International Airport.
DHL, which is part of Deutsche Post DHL, has a global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and about 340,000 employees worldwide, offering customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements.
The Phoenix Sports Club, set up in 2010, currently offers athletes an opportunity to practise a number of sports disciplines, including handball, basketball, volleyball and American football. It caters for children as young as 8 years of age up to those in their late 30s.
Orlando Bonnici, President of Phoenix Sports Club, expressed his satisfaction that, for the third year in a row, the club is teaming up with DHL Express on this charitable initiative that also involves an element of athleticism. “This has been very much a team effort and we have found DHL Express Malta to be highly co-operative and proactive in setting up the logistics of this charitable event. We urge all those who wish to take part to register now,” he said.
Dr Victor Calvagna, Chairman of the Puttinu Cares Foundation, thanked DHL Express Malta and the Phoenix Sports Club for having chosen the foundation for their charitable event. “I too would like to encourage participants to register in advance and to follow instructions on the day so that as many people as possible can contribute to our worthy cause,” Dr Calvagna said.

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