LifeFlight Sunshine Coast gala attendees dug deep to raise a record $292,095 on Saturday night for the charity at a glitzy, Palm Springs-themed event.
The gala, presented by Altus Group, this year attracted more than 500 guests to the Novotel Sunshine Coast Convention Centre.
Guests were treated to a night of dining, dancing and unique auction items.
They included a specialty 1962-Malibu replica surfboard designed by Sunshine Coast surfing legend Hayden Kenny OAM, which was snapped up for $11,000 by Emma Bowyer.
There was a surprise twist on the night when Ms Bowyer’s winning bid was matched by LifeFlight Foundation chair Stewart Morland for a second surfboard to be crafted by Mr Kenny.
That brought the total amount raised by the surfboard auction to $22,000.
Mr Kenny was key in establishing the Sunshine Coast Helicopter Rescue Service in 1979.
Attendees also had the chance to step into a LifeFlight crew member’s shoes for a few hours, with a Helicopter Underwater Escape Training simulator experience going for $3500 at the LifeFlight Training Academy.
Guests also heard about two remarkable rescue stories from the past few years.
They included Yarren, the boy who was airlifted in 2023 after he suffered a severe anaphylactic reaction to hairy caterpillars.
They also got to watch Maverick Robbins’ amazing survival story after he was rescued following a paragliding crash into a sand cliff at Rainbow Beach late last year.
LifeFlight Sunshine Coast and South Burnett Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) chair Brendon Murray, said funds raised would help fit out the LifeFlight Sunshine Coast Aeromedical Hub, which is under construction and includes expanded crew quarters and a patient transfer room, and the Jocelyn Walker Visitor Experience Centre.
“The Sunshine Coast-based helicopter helped 569 people last year, and the demand for our service keeps growing,” Mr Murray said.
“We couldn’t have achieved this amount of success without the passion and generosity of local businesses and community members.”
