All it takes to move a fully laden 13-ton bus is a little elbow grease, a dozen of your closest friends, and a desire to raise money for charity.

City of Calgary, Calgary Transit, and Calgary Police Service employees took part in the return of Calgary Transit’s annual bus pull for the United Way. The event had been on hiatus for the past three-years due to Covid-19.

More than $1,500 was raised, with 12 teams each donating $150 each to take part in the pull, along with a 50/50 raffle.

“There are teams that actually trained and practiced for this event, and are really enthusiastic about winning,” said Calgary Transit Director Sharon Fleming.

“In my former division, it was really a regime to practice for this event and make sure that they were ready for game day.”

Participants were tasked with pulling a 40-foot bus as fast as they could in a race against their competitors.

Fleming said they like to give employees a permissive space to take part, as it helps to build connections between City of Calgary employees.

“It gives them an opportunity to get to know their colleagues outside of work in a way that is really fun, and is also very competitive,” Fleming said.

“It certainly helps you develop a sense of team spirit. And it also helps you develop a sense of empathy for all of those that the United Way supports through all of their work.”

Photos from the bus pull