Spring Plains’ $38,782 fundraiser

The Spring Plains Hall committee has raised over $35,000 for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

“We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors and everyone who came to the long lunch on Saturday to have a good time and show their support for such a worthy cause,” said Spring Plains Hall chair Angus Moore.

“The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service based in Tamworth is a lifeline for people here and it helps everyone, it doesn’t discriminate.”

The long lunch was held at the Spring Plains Hall and this year’s theme was ‘le diner en blanc’.

The hall was built in 1926 and the venue has provided a beautiful vista across the plains for many community events over the years, and Saturday didn’t disappoint.

Despite the windy weather, the scene was stunning with green gum and palm decorations adding a pop of colour to the white-dress code.

Guests travelled from far and wide to attend, from Queensland and Sydney to Walgett, and for some it was just a short trip down the road.

On arrival, drinks were offered and raffle tickets sold before attendees sat down to lunch and listened to music from guitarist vocalist Sarah Leete.

“The Committee has worked extremely hard and should be proud of the great occasion,” said Mr Moore.

“We have a terrific group of local people who get stuck in and carry out their particular roles without fuss or fanfare, thank you.”

Of course, the main aim of the day was to raise money for the Westpac Helicopter and the crowd was reminded of how crucial the service is by guest attendee and speaker Hamish McLaren.

Mr McLaren is a woolgrower who has become a staunch advocate for the rescue chopper after losing his arm in a farming accident in the 1990s.

He believes there’s a huge chance he would still have his arm today, if the Tamworth rescue chopper had been available to him.

Mr Moore introduced Mr McLaren to the crowd.

“Hamish is a mate, a farmer and a father and more than anyone knows the importance of a reliable rescue helicopter service.

“July, 5, 1999 day would have started on the McLaren family merino stud at Walcha like any other day.

“However, it certainly did not follow like any other day for Hamish whilst spreading fertiliser an accident with an aeroplane propeller almost cost him his life.

“It was this accident and a critical time-lapse in waiting for an ambulance that lost its way and added to that, no Tamworth rescue chopper, that resulted in the loss of his arm.   It is Hamish’s drive which has led to the successful push for a Westpac Helicopter in the Tamworth region. Hamish has since organised a series of fantastic events and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the service over the years.”

Mr McLaren said it took eight hours for him to get to Sydney after his accident and the rescue chopper came from Newcastle.

“Doctors told me that if I’d made it to Sydney in six hours, it would have saved my arm. It would have been faster coming in a chopper from Tamworth.”

Tamworth received its first Westpac Rescue Helicopter in 2000.

In his speech, Mr McLaren explained how people in the district benefit from the rescue service.

“We got the pilots to conduct a flight plan for the AW139 based on a perfect weather scenario to Wee Waa.

“It would take them now only 40 minutes to land in Wee Waa. Once the patient is stabilised, for a primary I think this can take around one-and-a-half to two hours, and then to fly them to Newcastle takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

“So from the time you call triple-0 you could be in Newcastle or Sydney in a couple of hours. This is so critical and has saved lives and it will save more.

“We all know someone who has had a ride in the chopper. This service is ours and no one pays. Please keep supporting this great cause,” said Mr McLaren.

WRHS committee member Sharon Grellman said the feedback from Saturday’s event had been “amazingly positive. “From our point of view, we are extremely humbled by the support for the WRHS. Lismore is already organising a long lunch, a testimony to the popularity and success of this event.”