October 9, 2019
As the 2019 Northland Rescue Helicopter annual fundraising appeal gets into gear, spokesman Paul Ahlers says he is
looking forward to plenty of community involvement.
Ahlers, Trustee of the Northland Emergency Services Trust and CEO of the Northland Rescue Chopper Service, says there
will be a number of community events – three fundraising breakfasts, a fundraising lunch and the launch of the latest
children’s book – ‘Cheeky Charlie to the Rescue’ – at three schools around Northland (one each in the Far North, Kaipara
and Whangarei Districts).
“We receive tremendous support around Northland at these events and there is such a strong community spirit that shows
through,” says Ahlers.
“The annual fundraising appeal is really important to us at this time of the year because we are ramping up for our
busiest time of year. In fact, this year is already shaping up to be our busiest on record and we know the summer period
with the influx of holiday makers will mean demand for our Choppers will be higher than ever.
“We appreciate the generosity that Northlanders show towards us every year and we simply couldn’t do what we do without
that additional support and the backing of our many long term sponsors, Northpower, Top Energy and the Northland
Regional Council are especially pivotal in that.”
Northpower and Top Energy have sponsored the service since it launched back in 1988 and will again match public
donations dollar for dollar up to $150k.
The Northland Rescue Chopper service is now home to two state of the art air ambulances, one of the largest aviation
projects ever undertaken in Northland.
“We have significantly updated our fleet and have advanced avionics at hand and the highest levels of safety. Again we
are looking forward to getting out there in the community over the next couple of months and saying thanks to the people
of Northland for their ongoing support.”
ENDS