Toronto, June 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This spring, Orbis Canada, the international non-profit working to fight avoidable blindness globally, will be hosting its annual Plane Pull for Sight fundraisers in three Canadian cities – Toronto (June 9), Calgary (June 22) and Vancouver (July 7). These events have raised more than $1.2 million over 10 years to support Orbis Canada’s programs fighting preventable blindness.

Plane Pull for Sight provides a fun and unique experience for participants, as this signature fundraiser brings together teams of up to 20 people to work as one to pull a 65-ton FedEx 757 cargo plane along a 20-foot course. It’s the ultimate tug-of-war test of strength, determination and teamwork!

“Every year, our team is thrilled to see so many people come together to participate in this event and to raise critical funds to support our work,” says Lisa McKeen, CEO of Orbis Canada. “This event is so much fun and it’s incredibly motivating to see the teamwork and enthusiasm on display across Canada.”

Each team must fundraise a minimum of $2,500 to participate, and the family-friendly events offer all kinds of fun games and activities for all ages – a giant inflatable obstacle course, climbing wall, bouncy castles, sports challenges and, of course, a Kids' Pull.

Plane Pull for Sight will once again be supported by National Event Sponsor, FedEx, who donates the use of its planes and facilities for the pull. FedEx team members and their families are also enthusiastic participants in the events and relish the opportunity to support Orbis’s sight-saving work in developing countries. 

“For more than 30 years, FedEx has been dedicated to supporting Orbis in their mission to eliminate preventable blindness around the world,” said Pina Starnino, vice president, Operations, FedEx Express Canada. “I am very proud of all our wonderful FedEx participants and volunteers who continue to rally behind this wonderful cause,” she added.

FedEx is also a Global Sponsor of Orbis, and the leading aviation sponsor of the Flying Eye Hospital, a fully-equipped ophthalmic teaching and training hospital onboard a FedEx-donated MD-10 aircraft. With FedEx volunteer pilots at the controls, the Flying Eye Hospital travels around the world, staffed by an expert medical team and dedicated Volunteer Faculty – many of whom are Canadian – who train local eye care teams, so they can save sight in their own communities. This year, the Flying Eye Hospital will be making stops in Ottawa and Toronto as part of an awareness-building tour.

For more information about Orbis Canada or Plane Pull for Sight, visit can.orbis.org or www.pullforsight.ca.

About Orbis 
Orbis Canada is an affiliate of Orbis International, a global non-profit organization that brings people together to fight avoidable blindness, restore vision and help ensure no one loses their sight to a preventable, treatable disease. Using its unique tools – over 400 expert medical volunteers, the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital, and an online telemedicine training and consultation platform, Cybersight – Orbis equips developing nations with the skills, resources and knowledge to deliver high-quality eye care to their own people. In collaboration with a global network of local partners, including hospitals, universities, government agencies and ministries of health, Orbis creates long-term, sustainable eye care solutions by providing hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthening healthcare infrastructure and advocating to make eye health a priority. For more information visit can.orbis.org.

About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $69 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 450,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.