Northern New South Wales Chapter Harley Owners Group

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Helicopter Awareness Week

Thursday 19th August, 2010

A small group from our Club attended the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter base at Lismore for that organisation's Helicopter Awareness Week. The chopper people had invited John Hoye to attend as a past recipient.

At the ceremony John, with Des and Cathy Bolt, presented our second donation of $1000 to the Westpac chopper.

          Pictured below and right are (L to R):

          Rescue chopper's General Manager Kris Beavis with

          John, Des, Cathy and pilot Mike Sterritt.

          (photos courtesy of Graham Orams, Westpac Life Saver Rescue

          Helicopter's Media and Marketing Officer)

Around 25 persons were there for a short ceremony. Many of those attending were also beneficiaries of the service (including two children, 3yrs and 5yrs).

Helicopter Awareness Week is held to promote public awareness of the important contribution that the non-profit helicopter rescue service has provided and to celebrate the many lives that it has saved over the last 28 years.

This includes our Assistant Director, John Hoye, and I urge you to read John's story (link below).

The helicopter (pictured) has been on a PR "mission" to several locations on the North coast (a nd will be at Grafton and Coffs Harbour during the next few days) to raise, hopefully, a desperately needed $250,000 for the service to keep up with spiralling costs. Recently one of the pilots was trained on night vision goggles, which will enable the chopper to greatly extend its rescue capabilities. The purchase of the night vision facilities has set the service back around $300,000.

Shown above, below and right:

John and Des speak at the ceremony

        (click photos to enlarge)

               These photos: Cathy Bolt

          Our club has regularly donated to the organisation in the past,

          and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter service is

          one of our Club's main charities.

We are only one of many organisations and individuals who support the service by way of such much needed funds.

          Des presented the service with our second cheque

          for $1000 on behalf of the Club.

Above: Des presents our Club's cheque for $1000

Right: General Manager Kris Beavis thanks the Club.

As noted in a previous article "Northern NSW HOGs Ride in for Westpac Rescue Chopper" (click here),

.... being bike riders we know full well that there is always uncertainty around the corner ....

which is why over the years we have supported the service and will continue to do so.

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