The annual nationwide fundraising drive for the Life Flight rescue service is being held this month.
“The efforts from each local area go directly to support their local chopper; In the case of Wairarapa and Wellington, that money goes to supporting Life Flight,” a Life Flight spokesperson told the Times-Age.
Donations are extremely important because “on average, a flight will cost about $8000, of which half is covered by government funding and the rest comes from donations and fundraisers from the public.”
Although Westpac is the biggest sponsor of the Life Flight service, how much the bank contributes was unavailable.
As shown in the accompanying graphic, the information that was provided shows that the Life Flight plane and Wairarapa both undertook more flights during 2023 than they did in 2022.
The Life Flight spokesperson also wanted to share the story of Nicky, a Carterton resident who was flown by chopper to Wellington Hospital after she suffered a cardiac arrest without warning in the early hours of the morning.
“New Zealand has many rural areas and windy roads, making time factors a big problem, and getting people to and from hospitals is so crucial, so the helicopter and ambulance planes are so important,” Nicky said.
“We are very appreciative.
“You may not have used it and probably never plan to, but you’ll want it there if you need it.”
Anyone wanting to donate to the cause can do so by visiting the lifeflight.org.nz website.
