Why We Sponsor: Advanced Air
At Tour de Pier, everyone rides for a reason. For family. For community. For hope. For the people we love, and for those facing cancer today.
For Advanced Air, Tour de Pier has become something more than a single day on the pier. It’s a tradition, a team experience, and a reflection of who they are as a company.
Advanced Air Co-Founder Levi Stockton has been flying since he was young, sparked by early trips between Washington and Alaska as an unaccompanied minor. What began as curiosity turned into a lifelong passion, and eventually into building an airline from the ground up.
At just 23 years old, Levi took a leap of faith, drafted a business plan, and launched what would become Advanced Air. Today, the company flies thousands of hours each year, operates a growing fleet, and employs more than 200 people. But growth was never just about expansion, it was about purpose.
Advanced Air first connected with Tour de Pier nearly ten years ago through one of the event’s founders, Jon Hirshberg. What started as a conversation quickly became a long-term partnership.
“Tour de Pier isn’t just a sponsorship,” Levi shares. “It’s a meaningful experience. You see firsthand how it brings people together and how it’s making a difference.”
That sense of connection is something Priscilla Jimenez, Culture and Community Engagement at Advanced Air, sees every year.
“Tour de Pier was actually my first company event,” she says. “I remember being blown away, the energy, the families, the kids, the community activations. It felt special right away.”
Since then, Tour de Pier has become the one event employees rush to sign up for. Teams form quickly. Families join in. Coworkers cheer one another on from the bikes, the expo, and the pier.
“Everybody is touched by cancer in one way or another,” Priscilla explains. “Tour de Pier gives our employees a chance to come together, get active, connect with the community, and support something that truly matters.”
Over the years, Tour de Pier has become a highlight for Advanced Air employees, a day they look forward to, show up for, and rally around together. That collective spirit has translated into more than $10,000 raised by employee teams, alongside $85,000 in sponsorship support from the company, all to support cancer research and patient programs.
For Advanced Air, giving back part of the company culture.
“I think it’s important for companies to show up,” Levi says. “To get people out of the daily grind, to support a good cause, and to know that lives are being impacted and changed. That’s when you know you’re doing something good.”
That’s why Advanced Air rides, not just as a company, but as a community.
For their employees. For their families. For the moments that bring people together when it matters most. And for everyone whose life has been touched by cancer.
It is why Tour de Pier is more than an event. It is why we’re stronger when companies like Advanced Air ride with us.