27th, October, 2020

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter has put out a call to communities across Northern NSW to ‘Rise For Rescue’ and help raise valuable funds for the Service as it heads into what is its busiest period of the year.

Rise For Rescue is a virtual fundraising event for the Service that aims to encourage participants to rise to their own personal fitness challenge across November for a minimum of 30 minutes a day at sunrise…or when it best suits them.

The Rise for Rescue concept was created after one of the Service’s most successful annual fundraising events – the Ballina to Byron Bay Coastal Walk – was cancelled this year due to COVID-19.

‘Our Service is changing lives in our community every day and we are asking participants to change their own lives each day in November by taking on the Rise For Rescue challenge,’ Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service CEO Richard Jones OAM said.

‘Just as our Service is here for everyone, this event is for everyone of any age, every ability, anywhere – run, walk, ride a bike, horse or tractor, swim, surf or paddle, flow through yoga, Pilates or meditation, skate or scoot, we’d like to see all these and more across November,’ Jones said.

Rise For Rescue is free to enter, with every participant getting their own fundraising page where they can blog and log their activities plus share stories and receive donations. Participants can join as an individual or team – teams can be family, friends, work colleagues, sporting group or school friends.

Prizes are on offer for fundraisers of every level sponsored by Garmin, with weekly prizes on offer for the best Rise For Rescue images, which the Service anticipates will include some spectacular sunrises from across Northern NSW.

Twelve (12) Rescue Club Ambassadors from across Northern NSW have signed on to help inspire participants. Rescue Club members are made up of those who have been flown by the Service and it is hoped that their inspirational rescue stories will be further incentive for participants to ‘rise up’ and participate.  

‘Our Rescue Club members are our greatest ambassadors for the Service and represent the reason our staff and volunteers ‘rise up’ every day to ensure we can continue to provide the best possible aeromedical service 24/7 for the communities we serve,’ Jones concluded. 

Participants can register for Rise For Rescue at https://events.rescuehelicopter.com.au/event/rise-for-rescue

Social media for Rise For Rescue across November will include www.instagram.com/riseforrescue/ and www.facebook.com/riseforrescue where participants will share their activities and no doubt some spectacular images from across Northern NSW. 

Media Contacts:
Richard Jones OAM, Chief Executive Officer, Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service  Mb 0419 261 877