LOCAL ENGINEERING FIRM MARKS MILESTONE DONATION TO RESCUERS
August 5, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A long-term partnership with the region’s rescuers has resulted in a Mackay engineering firm donating a total of more than $1.1 million to the lifesaving service over 14 years.
G&S Engineering Vice-President (East) Paul Collins presented RACQ CQ Rescue with a donation of $64,045 this week, the 14th annual donation made by the firm since they became a major sponsor of the helicopter service in 2006.
G&S Engineering, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DRA Global Ltd, was the first Mackay-based company to become a major sponsor of the community-funded service and their annual sponsorship of the rescue helicopter, which services Central and North Queensland, is made up of a combination of employee contributions which are then matched by the company.
Mr Collins said the organisation is taking a proactive approach to health and safety and was committed to investing in the wider community with a particular focus on supporting activities with a health, safety and wellbeing orientation.
“RACQ CQ Rescue is one of the worthiest charities you can contribute to and one you hope you never ever have to call on,” Mr Collins said.
“G&S continues to support this charity as our largest partnership because it enables anyone in our community, workers, residents and visitors, to access emergency health services when they are most in need of help,” he said.
RACQ CQ Rescue CEO Ian Rowan said the long-term partnership with G&S Engineering was helping deliver life-saving aeromedical and emergency helicopter rescue services to people across the region including into the Bowen Basin.
The community was indebted to long-term supporters and community-minded firms who committed such valuable funding to the rescue chopper as part of their corporate responsibility to the region.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have such vital, ongoing support from our partners like G&S Engineering which ensures we can have a world-class aeromedical helicopter service on our doorstep and available anywhere, anytime throughout Central Queensland,” Mr Rowan said.
“RACQ CQ Rescue is a vital part of emergency support for all workers and residents in this region and it’s reassuring to know organisations like G&S appreciate the value of supporting our helicopter and that with their ongoing commitment we can continue to provide our vital aeromedical service to anyone in a time of crisis,” he said.
“The reality is we rely heavily on sponsorships and donations so the community’s help is vital to keeping the helicopter available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and ready to respond to emergencies at a moment’s notice, anywhere, anytime.”
Mr Rowan said it cost more than $10.5 million annually to keep the world-class helicopter rescue service in the sky and a large proportion of this money came from community donations and sponsorship.
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Please credit any released photos and video footage to RACQ CQ Rescue.
Please note: Full title of rescue service is RACQ CQ Rescue.
For further information please contact:
Naomi Noy
RACQ CQ Rescue
Ph: 0417 578 182