Arizona Cardinals fly athletes, coaches to Special Olympics
· Yahoo Sports
The Arizona Cardinals have used their team plane in the offseason to do some good. Partnering with the team’s affiliate Gridiron Air, they joined the Special Olympics Airlift and sent more than 140 athletes and coaches from Arizona to Minneapolis for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
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They departed on Friday, and it was the first time in its 40-year history that a widebody aircraft has participated in the Airlift, allowing an entire delegation of athletes and coaches to fly as one team on a single flight. The Cardinals also became the first professional sports team to offer its aircraft to transport the athletes as part of the Airlift.
They arrived in Minnesota and will return to Arizona on June 27.
ABOUT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS AIRLIFT: The Special Olympics Airlift brings together Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker customers, along with partners across the aviation industry, to remove barriers and ensure athletes from across the country can take part in the USA Games. Since the Airlift’s inception in 1987, this remarkable initiative has transported more than 10,000 athletes and coaches to the Special Olympics USA Games. For many, the journey is more than travel — it is the moment they arrive knowing they belong. Learn more about the airlift at https://airlift.txtav.com/.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals fly athletes, coaches to Special Olympics