Bloomfield students take part in annual Tank Pull Challenge

By: Andrew Mees, Director of Institutional Communications and Campaign Marketing                          communications@bloomfield.edu

Students attending Bloomfield College as part of the Office of International Training and Professional Studies (ITPS) helped the institution give back to a worthy cause June 14, as the group participated in the annual Knights of Columbus Tank Pull Challenge in Clifton, N.J.

An event held to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, teams of 20 participants are tasked with pulling an 80,000-pound military tank mounted on a flatbed truck down one of Clifton’s signature streets, Clifton Avenue. The Bloomfield College team, comprised of 20 ITPS students and professors hailing from China, pulled the tank 12 feet in 8.78 seconds, placing the group in the top 40 of the competition.

For the second part of the day’s activities, the “Minimum Weight Pull” competition, teams were challenged to pull the tank utilizing the lowest combined weight of participating team members to move the required 12 feet. Bloomfield’s team utilized only three members (weighing 498 combined pounds) to place in the top 30.

To participate in the event, Bloomfield College students Crystal and Rachel McDonald raised a $1,572 donation to the Knights of Columbus and the Wounded Warrior Project, continuing the commitment of both the institution and its students to serving the community and charitable organizations.

“Even though it does not often feel as if the wars and military affect our daily lives, it’s nice to see all of the different people from our communities come together and support the soldiers and a great cause,” said Rachel.

The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a charity and veterans service organization that offers a variety of programs, service and events for wounded veterans of the military actions following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Its mission is to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service members and to provide the resources necessary to help them aid and assist each other.

“These men and women sacrifice their lives and time away from their families in order to protect and serve our country,” said Crystal. “The small selfless act that we made for them can not compare to their courageous services, but it still makes a difference in a soldier’s life when they return home.” 

For more information on the Tank Pull Challenge, visit http://tankpullkofc.org.

For more information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

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