Give Hope Wings trying to raise awareness in the sky

Ten volunteer pilots are lifting off at the Regina Flying Club to raise awareness for Hope Air.

Their departure is set for Sunday around 10 a.m. People can come meet the pilots over coffee and donuts starting at 8:30 a.m.

Hope Air is a Canadian charity that covers the travel and accommodation costs for those seeking medical assistance outside of their home community.

Doug McNair, the prairie expedition captain for Give Hope Wings, volunteered to organize and lead the group on its tour of the prairies. This is the third and final expedition put on by Give Hope Wings to fundraise for Hope Air.

“It would be great to have some people send us off on Sunday morning,” he said.

McNair got involved when he met one of the representatives of Hope Air last fall and asked why it was not well-known in Saskatchewan. The representative then asked him to volunteer for the prairie expedition and McNair quickly said yes.

“I think this is a worthy cause,” he said.

The expedition will take six days. From Regina, pilots are to fly to 11 communities, with stops in Brandon, Winnipeg, The Pas, Man., Thompson, Man., La Ronge, Prince Albert, Fort McMurray, Alta., Villeneuve, Alta., Calgary, Lethbridge and Saskatoon before returning to Regina. People can follow the journey live here.

At each stop, community members will have the chance to learn more about Hope Air, hear personal stories, meet the pilots and see the airplanes. The propeller-driven planes are typically four-seaters.

There are many ways to donate. Participants will be accepting donations on Sunday, as well as at each stop on their journey. People can even pick a pilot and sponsor them on Hope Air’s website.

The fleet will return from the journey on June 23 around 4 p.m. People are welcome to go to the Regina Flying Club to welcome the team of volunteer pilots back.