$250k air rescue fundraiser gets off to ‘excellent’ start
The Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue appeal to raise funds for a new navigation system has received an ‘‘excellent response’’, it’s chief executive says.
Christine Prince praised the contribution of organisations in South Canterbury in their bid for the $250,000 needed to implement the new Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) system.
About $30,000 had been raised since the campaign began last month, with the system expected to be up and running by winter next year.
The trust needs about $250,000 to get the project off the ground, $63,730 of which would be spent in Timaru ($28,890) and Twizel ($34,840).
The hi-tech system would enable pilots to fly safely through complete cloud by tracing predetermined routes, meaning a better chance of getting to the site of an incident within the first hour of it happening when the chance of survival for someone battling lifethreatening injures is 80 per cent.
‘‘We have had an excellent response to our appeal, especially in Mid to South Canterbury. It is an area especially affected by low cloud cover so everyone understands the value of the IFR initiative. It will mean the crew can get to more patients when help is needed.’’
She said the Lions Club of Timaru have made a $3000 donation and several other trusts,
‘‘We just think it is also in a sense in support of our local hospital because people get brought in there and get taken away from there by helicopter.’’
Barry Barnes
Lions Club of Timaru president
such as the Midlands Freemasons had contacted Air Rescue to offer their support.
‘‘It is incredible to get such support and Matt Boulcott, our rescue pilot heading up the project, is thrilled as we can now start to make plans to get this project under way.
‘‘These donations all count towards making this happen, every dollar counts. We have to set up the routes to the different areas and then also set them up at the rescue helicopter base and the Christchurch Public Hospital, so we can get patients from Timaru and environs back to get the care they need.’’
Lions Club of Timaru president Barry Barnes said an article in The Timaru Herald prompted the club to make its second donation to the organisation within a year.
‘‘When we saw the article in The Timaru Herald we happened to be having a club meeting that night. It was raised with our members and they agreed we should carry and provide a bit of further support.
‘‘This was approved by our charitable trust on Monday and a direct payment of $3000 was made.’’
Barnes said the club ran a raffle last year and the $3700 raised also went to the Air Rescue Trust, because the members saw it as an opportunity to save lives.
‘‘None of our members have any direct involvement with Air Rescue but undoubtedly the family members would have.
‘‘We just think it is also in a sense in support of our local hospital because people get brought in there and get taken away from there by helicopter.’’