Plane pull at Edmonton airport raises money, awareness for Hope Air [Video]

Teams of people took turns pulling a 30,000 kilogram WestJet plane 100 metres down the tarmac at the Edmonton International Airport on Monday.

They’re going head-to-head battling for the best time, but it’s part of a bigger cause.

The Haul for Hope event is raising money and awareness for Hope Air – Canada’s only national charity that helps people travel for medical care.

Hope Air has been around for four decades, since 1986, but in the last few years the charity has seen a big increase in demand.

“In 2021 we did 6,000 travel arrangements,” Jon Collins said, Hope Air’s chief development officer.

Hope Air supports low-income Canadians and a full-service trip costs about $1,000.

“If you’re thinking about being out of pocket $1,000 for a diagnosis that you weren’t expecting to receive, and then taking multiple trips in these difficult economic times, and in general, that’s a real challenge for household …