Republic Airways Presents 10th Annual Plane Pull on Saturday, April 18, 2020

Republic Airways announced today that its 10th annual Plane Pull will be held Saturday, April 18, 2020, at the Republic Airways hangar at Indianapolis International Airport. The event, which benefits Indiana Children's Wish Fund, Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, Riley Children's Foundation and A Kid Again, features teams competing to pull an Embraer 170/175 aircraft 15 feet. The event starts at 9 a.m. and includes food, music, kid games and guest celebrities. Team registration is now open at RepublicPlanePull.com and fundraising for the event has begun.

"The Plane Pull is Republic's time to shine, to show what we as a Company can do for our community," said Amy Arnell, director of Republic's Corporate and Community Responsibility Department. "Each year, our event gets bigger and better, drawing more celebrities and more jaw-dropping donations, and that's due largely to the selfless support of our sponsors pulling together to make a difference for those in need."

Last year, the Plane Pull raised more than $425,000, and nearly $3 million has been raised since 2011. To join this tug-of-war against a 24-ton aircraft, each team of 10 people (three must be female) must raise at least $2,000 in donations. (Youth teams age 17 and younger will be discounted.) The fastest pull team will win 10 roundtrip domestic airfare tickets. The Most Spirited Team also will win 10 roundtrip domestic airfare tickets for the best costumes, crowd support or most creative pull team strategy. A Discovery Flight from our LIFT Academy will go to the top individual fundraiser, and other prizes will be announced. Teams have consisted of students, athletes and business leaders.

The Plane Pull will feature an extensive Kids' Zone including activities such as face painting, bounce houses, games, food, aircraft tours and more. The event is free and open to the public. Joe Staysniak, sports radio talk show host for 107.5-FM/1070-AM The Fan and a former Indianapolis Colts player, once again will serve as the master of ceremonies for the Plane Pull. Joe has volunteered his time as the emcee for the past nine years.

To register, visit RepublicPlanePull.com, hosted by Race Roster, where you can sign up a team and raise money online now until the event on April 18. Corporate sponsorship opportunities also are available.

"The partnership we have with Republic Airways is an incredible bond," says J'Lynn Cooper, director of Wish Fund Operations. "Amy Arnell and her team are considered family to us, and we are extremely grateful for what they do for our Wish kids and families."

Republic also will host its annual Plane Pull Gala. The exclusive evening event will include silent and live auctions as another opportunity to raise money for the beneficiaries. Watch www.RepublicPlanePull.com for ticket information and more details as they become available.

The Plane Pull is dedicated to the memory of Tyler Frenzel, a Carmel, Indiana, boy who suffered from leukemia and passed away in 2004. Tyler's wish to visit Disney World was granted by Indiana Children's Wish Fund. He also received treatment from both Peyton Manning Children's Hospital and Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, both in Indianapolis.

Please direct media inquiries to Republic Airways Corporate Communications at [email protected] or Beverly Smith at BKS Communications [email protected].

About Republic Airways

Founded in 1974, Republic Airways is one of the largest regional airlines in the U.S. Republic operates a fleet of nearly 200 Embraer 170/175 aircraft and offers scheduled passenger service with about 1,000 daily flights to 100 cities in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean and Central America. The airline provides fixed-fee flights operated under its codeshare partners' brands of American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express. The airline employs more than 6,000 aviation professionals. Learn more at www.rjet.com.

In May 2018, Republic opened the Leadership In Flight Training (LIFT) Academy, a commercial aviation pilot training school in Indianapolis. LIFT uses state-of-the-art training technologies that combine flight, flight simulator, online and in-classroom training. Graduates are guaranteed a job as First Officer at Republic. Learn more at www.flywithlift.com.