Major Milestone For Hope Air; 100,000th Flight

By Angela Gemmill

A charitable agency that helps fly low income Canadians to specialized healthcare services marked a milestone today.

Hope Air made its 100,000th flight this morning, bringing Hanmer resident Richard Giroux home from his medical appointment in Toronto.

He and his wife Joanne have taken a dozen Hope Air flights in the past year.

They say it’s helped reduce the physical, mental and financial stress connected to driving south for care.

Richard is waiting for a liver transplant and due to his condition says it’s painful for him to sit in a car for lengthy periods of time.

Hope Air Executive Director Doug Keller-Hobson says more and more families are discovering this valuable help.

It took 29-years to get to the 100,000th flight, but in just the past year they’ve provided 10,000 flights.

Keller-Hobson says its with the help of airline partners, like Porter and Bearskin Airlines, that they can provide flights to patients all across the country.

Earlier this year, mining company, Vale provided $100,000 to Hope Air for 300 plane tickets for both children and adults needing flights over a two year time period (2015 & 2016).

Those interested in finding out if they’re elgible for Hope Air flights can go to www.hopeair.ca