Prince George, B.C. – Hope Air, has landed in Prince George to receive a cash boost from the folks at Integris Credit Union.

 

Call it a hole in one, as on the eve of the Prince George Airport Charity Golf Tournament, Integris has donated $5,000 to the national charity.  The money will ensure 20 free flights for disadvantaged Prince George residents who have been referred  by their physician  for specialized healthcare not available  in Prince George.

 

Prince George is Hope Air’s second highest demand route in B.C.  This year alone, Hope Air has already provided 456 such flights to residents of Prince George, getting them to the care they need in Vancouver, Kelowna and Edmonton. Last year,  800  such flights were  taken by patients from Prince George.

 

So why not access the Northern Health bus service? “Often it’s a matter of time constraints, or patients may be experiencing pain levels or discomfort that would make a long bus ride very difficult” says Anna du Bois, Donor Relations Officer with Hope Air.

 

Hope Air doesn’t operate its own planes, “We are not an airline, we are a life line” says duBois, instead through its partnerships with all the major airlines Hope Air secures a seat on a flight for the patient. 

 

The flight could be secured through one of three  programs,

1.      the Airline Donation program:  which has airlines providing a seat at no cost but Hope Air picking up the costs for taxes and fees, 

2.      the Flight Purchase program where dollars are used to buy a ticket outright,

3.      Volunteer Pilots program which has volunteer pilots providing their skills and planes . “That kind of flight might involve, for example, a child who has a reduced immune system and a commercial flight wouldn’t be in their best interests” says duBois.

 

The Integris Credit Union was quick to make a decision on becoming a partner with Hope Air says Dan Wingham, Engagement and Communications Manager at Integris “The people who make the decision didn’t hesitate for a second once the application was made, Hope Air is a perfect fit for our Community Investment criteria.”

 

Tomorrow’s golf tournament is taking place at Alder Hills Golf Course, with all proceeds going to Hope Air.