The Theebine community in Wide Bay has rallied together at a fundraiser and shown their support for LifeFlight with a generous $13,015 donation.
It included $5,175 from Theebine Hotel owner Jackson Macdonald to the aeromedical service, raised by the generous patrons of the hotel through weekly raffles and personal donations.
Jackson said he’d witnessed LifeFlight’s work firsthand a few times, including when a patron of the Hotel, Stuart Vollmerhausen, needed to be flown to hospital.
“We saw the helicopter airlift him last year; LifeFlight saves lives,” he said.
Mr Vollmerhausen couldn’t believe how quickly a day at work ended in an airlift to Sunshine Coast University Hospital.
“I was drafting a few young bulls and one hit me and the rest trampled over me,” he said.
“The chopper circled and got here quickly. The crew made me feel so comfortable and it’s such an amazing service.
“This is a little pub that we all attend here, and we raised over $5000.
“It started with a few locals that came to the pub and now it’s a continuing thing, because everyone knew what had happened to me.”
As the charity night progressed, $6,840 was raised through more raffles and another $1,000 was donated by local businessman Chris Balke, raising $13,015.
Gympie mayor Glen Hartwig, Federal MP for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien and LifeFlight Wide Bay-Burnett Regional Advisory Committee Member Scott Rowe were there to mark the occasion.
Mr Rowe said the support from this small community was overwhelming.
“Like many rural areas, the local hotel is the meeting place where locals gather,” he said.
“We are delighted the community has acknowledged the importance of the rescue helicopter service to their community and have given so generously.
“Publican Jackson and his whole team epitomise the community spirit within Theebine, which rallies around its own in good times and in bad.”
The Hotel also hosted ‘Born 2 Lose’, an annual custom car and chopper event, with the chosen charity as LifeFlight.
Presentation coordinator Fiona Paterson said the event attracted quite the attendance.
“The wet weather didn’t hold the crowd back from celebrating, and donation totals are still being tallied and will be released soon,” she said.
Local businesses made several generous contributions, including Darren and Helen Henderson from U-Haul Australia with items for auction, and Dean and Cate Mayne from Piggy in the Middle, producers of fine pasture raised pork and eggs, with two meat trays.
The funds generously donated by the Theebine community will go towards supporting LifeFlight’s commitment to providing aeromedical care in the region.
