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The Give Hope Wings-Northwest Expedition reached its goal of providing 1,000 flights to patients in financial need who require medical care far from home by raising $250,000.
The journey took place from June 15-July 6, 2019 flying a total of 17,500 km and landing at 35 airports in British Columbia, Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Alaska. The pilots Dave
McElroy, Lise Ash, Steve Drinkwater and Ian Porter along with the volunteer flight crew, Alexis Thind, Rani Tolton, Annamarie van der Meijden, Anna Rusinowski and O’Brian Blackall each played key roles, and engaged their networks, in order to achieve the result by the completion of the three-week journey.
The expedition began with four successful community events in British Columbia. The launch event in Pitt Meadows and the stops in Quesnel, Prince George and Fort St. John allowed the pilots and flight crew to meet some of the patients who have flown through Hope Air and raised the profile of Hope Air.
“These incredible volunteers have made the Give Hope Wings — Northwest Expedition a huge success,” said Doug Keller-Hobson, CEO of Hope Air. “Their dedication to easing the burden of travel to medical care and their passion for aviation will result in 1,000 flights for families who need our help to access vital medical care.”
Hope Air is Canada’s only national charity providing Canadians in financial need with free travel to medical care far from home, regardless of age or medical need. Since its inception in 1986, Hope Air has provided more than 140,000 travel arrangements to patients in need.
For people living on a low income in small and rural communities, distance and cost are very real barriers to accessing vital medical care. Hope Air is a unique and essential component of our Canadian healthcare system. Without the access Hope Air provides, our national system of universal healthcare coverage would fall short of its promise.
