Helping fight childhood blindness in developing countries at annual Plane Pull for Sight

Teams are literally pulling together this afternoon at Vancouver International Airport to help fight childhood blindness in developing countries.

The fifth annual Orbis Plane Pull for Sight is a friendly competition, which brings together teams of 25 people to pull a 60-tonne 757 FedEx cargo plane 12 feet, in the fastest time.

FedEx has been supporting Orbis, which is a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide, for more than 30 years, according to Steve Anderson, senior communications specialist for FedEx Canada.

“These events are important in raising awareness,” Anderson says. “The first event like this was in 2009 in Toronto and since then we’ve raised more than $400,000 in these events.”

An event like Plane Pull for Sight is critical, says Simon Holland, UBC Department of Ophthalmology, because the impact of childhood blindness is immense and “anything we can do to solve this problem should be encouraged.”

Funds raised from this event will go towards Orbis’s hands-on training, public health education, improved access to quality eye care, advocacy and partnerships with local health care organizations on missions worldwide.

Check out Orbis Canada for more information about how to donate.