Saugeen Shores grandmother Libby Thaw will participate in the Plane Pull for Sight fundraiser at Pearson International Airport June 9.

On June 9 at Pearson International Airport, teams will be pulling giant cargo planes to fight blindness but Saugeen Shores' Libby Thaw plans to do it alone.

In a submission to Saugeen Shores Hub, Thaw is considering this challenge a metaphor for the international awareness effort she runs without staff: The Checkered Eye Project. “I work mostly on my own but I’ve had help from strangers, friends, groups and even some Canadians of note," said Thaw. "You never know who might step in to help me with this enormous task," she added.

Informing the entire world that the checkered eye symbol means that the person wearing it is on the blindness spectrum is an enormous task, said Thaw, just like pulling a cargo plane.

"I figure, if something needs to be done it’s worth trying," she said. "I’ve been doing that for checkered eye awareness for over 18 years and I’m not getting any younger so I’m feeling a bit of urgency," she added.

"You don’t need to be able to see well to grab something and pull so it’s an athletic event I won’t need any adaptations to do," explained Thaw.

Plane Pull for Sight is a fun, unique and family-friendly team-building event where teams of up to 20 people compete to pull a 60 tonne FedEx 757 cargo plane along a 20 ft. course, all in support of Orbis Canada.

Teams are required to fundraise a minimum of $2,500 to participate. To support Libby Thaw, visit her donation page by clicking here.

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