With a big heave-ho, United Way of Niagara kicked off its annual fundraising campaign as 20 teams battled to pull a St. Catharines fire truck across a parking lot at Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre.

With a goal of raising $5 million for the dozens of local agencies United Way supports, teams such as those from John Deere, Niagara College and St. Catharines Fire Services brought in more than $30,000 on Day 1 of the campaign.

Frances Hallworth, United Way Niagara chief executive officer, said the fire truck pull was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic to bring people together outdoors and raise money for the organization, replacing its long-running campaign breakfast.

“The biggest plus is that people really appreciate doing this more than they did coming to the traditional br

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