Employees from Metro Vancouver businesses and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) gloved up to once again pull a plane for a fundraiser.

Teams put their strength and speed to the test, racing to pull a 67,000-pound WestJet Q400 aircraft 100 metres across the YVR tarmac for the annual Haul for Hope fundraiser on Sept. 22

The fundraiser is hosted by YVR and Canadian charity Hope Air to help Canadians who need to travel for medical treatment and care far from home.

The team from Neptune Terminals pulled the plane the fastest with a time of 32.93 seconds.

Haul for Hope raised more than $125,000 this year, money that will go towards flights, accommodations, food vouchers and ground transportation for Hope Air patients.

Of all the funds raised, YVR’s four teams raised around $19,000. The airport matched all the funds raised by its four employee teams, for a total donation of over $39,000.

Among the participants at Tuesday’s event was Hope Air patient Devon and his mother Vanessa from Kamloops.

Devon was diagnosed with acute advanced Crohn’s disease at age 11 and still travels around 400 kilometres from Kamloops to BC Children’s Hospital for specialized care.

After Devon’s diagnosis, Vanessa was also diagnosed with stage 3 uterine cancer, resulting in the family having to travel between Kamloops, Kelowna and Vancouver for treatment.

“Hope Air came at a critical time for our family,” said Vanessa.

“Flying to medical appointments rather than driving meant more time for work, school, friends and family. That gave Devon more time to be a boy and for us to be a family.”

Hope Air completed more than 5,594 travel arrangements at YVR last year has worked with the airport for 15 years to help B.C. patients and families access health care.

It was founded 40 years ago on the belief that where someone lives should not determine whether they can access the needed health care, explained Mark Rubinstein, chief hope officer at Hope Air.

“Families like Devon and Vanessa’s show us why that mission remains so important today. When specialized care is hundreds of kilometres from home, getting there can become another challenge for a family already facing a serious medical diagnosis,” said Rubinstein.

“We are incredibly grateful to WestJet, YVR and every team taking part in Haul for Hope for helping patients overcome that distance and focus on what matters most—their health.”

YVR CEO and president Tamara Vrooman added that YVR keeps B.C. and Canada connected, from economic opportunity and travel to vital medical care.

“We are proud to stand with Hope Air to help ensure distance does not stand between British Columbians and the care they need,” she said.