It was a pretty good pull for The Lung Association.
Organizers of Saturday’s Pull for Kids event in the Quinte Mall parking lot — which featured 13 teams competing against one another as they pull one of two 13-tonne fire trucks — hauled in more than $27,500 in support of the one in five children in this area living with asthma. But for seven-year-old Andrew Kunkel’s father Kevin, the event is more than just about the money. “Asthma changes your whole life,” the Warkworth Penitentiary guard said, noting his son was diagnosed with the ailment when he was three. “We still don’t know what triggers his asthma attack, so it’s kind of always on your mind. We don’t keep him in a bubble, but we just take precautions.” To have the support of his coworkers in the form of a team — which raised $3,200 for the cause — is heartwarming, he said. “It’s awesome to have the guys here … we have been involved in this event from the beginning, so it’s always a good time,” Kunkel said.
“And you’re making more people aware — whether you win or lose, you’re making more people aware of asthma now than there were yesterday.”