Rescue Chopper fundraiser hits the road
Published 11 August 2021
Not content with one fundraising effort, former ambulance officer Phil Schultz is hitting the road again to raise funds for the Northland Rescue Helicopter. On October 7 Schultzie will hit the road in his yellow mini – along with 19 other classic car enthusiasts – on a four-day trek around Northland.
The trek will raise at least $5,000 for the service with $250 from every entry fee being donated. So far ten cars have registered so there is room for more!
Schultzie and his team of loyal Northland Rescue Chopper supporters will also have their fundraising bucket at hand as they make their way from Whangarei and on to Dargaville, where they will check out two private car associated collections.
Then it’s on to Opononi for the night, before cruising to Houhora, Cape Reinga and back to Kaitaia for a sleepover. Then it’s off to Paihia for the night, along with a visit to two car-related museums before heading back along the East Coast to Whangarei on the final day where the entourage will finish up with a dinner at Settlers Hotel on Sunday evening.
Schultzie, who drove Ambulances in the south of Auckland in the mid-1970s has a real passion for the Northland Rescue Choppers.
I had two stints as an Ambulance Officer, both in Waiuku, before I went back to my trade as a motor mechanic,” says Schultzie. “I was one of the first in the Ambulance service to be involved in a Helicopter Rescue. There was a really bad car crash in Port Waikato and the driver was so badly injured I did not want to move him."
“We had to call on an Air Force helicopter to come to the scene and transport him to Middlemore Hospital. The staff formed a circle with their cars and used their lights to make a landing pad. Obviously I see the value in the service up here with how busy it is and what I find is the people who donate when I am out in the community have been transported by one of the Northland Rescue Choppers. There are a lot of people out there who are sympathetic to the service. We just can’t do without it.”
The event coincides with the launch of the annual fundraising appeal for the Northland Rescue Helicopter service. The charity was established in 1988 and principal sponsors Northpower and Top Energy have been on board since day one. The companies will match public donations to the 2021 appeal dollar for dollar up to $200,000, with the appeal running from early October until mid-December.
If you are interested in joining in on the fun call Schultzie on 0274983974.
