Hope Air has taken a step back from traditional lunch and gala fundraisers to test the strength of community groups in pulling a 67,000 pound West Jet Plane.
Kelowna was the third stop on the country-wide fundraising tour.
Eight teams signed up to raise funds for Hope Air and then pull the plane 100 metres at the KF Centre for Excellence on Sept. 18.
Hope Air Chief Development Officer Jon Collins said, "We exist to help people access medical care. It's something that not everyone thinks about everyday, but in a lot of communities in this country you may live far from specialized medical care. We help remove the barriers of cost and distance for those who have to travel."
"Thank you personally for saving my life," a man named Donald said to the crowd during opening ceremonies. Donald and his partner Carolyn know first hand how important Hope Air is.
Donald was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in his chest. "They told us it was palliative in Kelowna. Carolyn's daughter found an amazing surgeon in Toronto... He was able to go in and remove that tumour... It would have been impossible if it wasn't for you guys and Hope Air."
Hope Air assisted Donald and his partner with multiple flights to and from Toronto for treatment and follow-up care.
The plane pull started around 2:30 p.m.
Kelowna Chiefs split up their roster to compete in the pull with the first of their two teams taking the fastest time at 25.37 seconds.
The overall winner, however, was team Odlum Brown. The score was calculated in points earned for both the amount of money raised by the team and their time pulling the aircraft.
Collins said over $25,000 was raised in Kelowna.
Haul for Hope hits Vancouver next on Sept. 20 with a final pull in Toronto on Sept. 28.
