Got Muscle?

Got muscle? Want to help raise money for nonprofit Special Olympics West Hawaii?

Teams of 10 will pull a full-size 15.5-ton Hawaii County Hele-On bus to support Special Olympics West Hawaii athletes during the Great Alii Power Pull slated for April 21 at Keauhou Shopping Center. The organization is looking for participants, as well as volunteers, to help run the event, said event coordinator Denise Lindsey.

She hopes to garner $5,000 for the organization, which supports 50 West Hawaii athletes on an approximately $50,000 annual budget.

“One hundred percent of the money raised in this event supports local West Hawaii athletes,” she said. “We’re desperately in need of funds to send our athletes to compete in-state and out-of-area games.”

A similar Special Olympics West Hawaii event, in which teams pulled a Hawaii Fire Department fire engine, was held for several years in the early 2000s, but eventually fell to the wayside, she said. The bus-pulling idea recently resurfaced when the organization began efforts to expand its means of fundraising.

Teams that register by April 2 will pay a tax deductible $250 entry fee. Thereafter, the fee is $300. Each participant receives a T-shirt.

If a team can’t find 10 members, Lindsey said Special Olympics West Hawaii athletes will help. The event begins at 10 a.m. April 21.

Awards will be given to the top three teams in two categories: “Fastest Pull” and “Lowest Combined Weight.” An award will also be given to the “Most Enthusiastic Team.”

Entry forms and required Special Olympics Hawaii and Hawaii County waivers are available at the SOWH website at sowh.org. Completed forms and a check payable to Special Olympics West Hawaii should be sent to P.O. Box 1570, Kealakekua, HI, 96745.

For more information, to register a team or volunteer, call Area Director Dave Ross at 345-1344 or Lindsey at 345-0433.