November 9, 2022
More than 150 guests filled the Kingaroy Town Hall on Saturday night to help raise funds for the life-saving LifeFlight Foundation.
Alisha Clarkson, from the Foundation, told the crowd every LifeFlight rescue mission costs an average $25,000, at no expense to the patient.
She said 65 per cent of funding for the helicopter rescue service comes from the State Government, which leaves a shortfall of 35 per cent which has to be filled by corporate partnerships, sponsorships and community fundraising activities such as Kingaroy’s LifeFlight Gala Dinner.
The dinner was made possible through a big effort from the local community.
It was organised by volunteers Susan Robertson, from Kingaroy Office Central, and Cr Danita Potter and backed by a range of local business sponsors.
Simon Neal compered the evening.
Diners enjoyed a three-course meal made with local ingredients, prepared by the Saucy Fork catering team led by chef Roberta Schablon, from the Wooroolin-based Farm 2 Fork Collective.
Kingaroy State High School students served on the tables, and the Kingaroy Cricket Club looked after the bar.
There were silent auctions, money boards and raffles to add to the fundraising.
Local band RYZA – Darren Schmidt, Rob and Clare Fitz-Herbert and Glenn Lumsden – kept the music rolling all night.
A special guest speaker was Flight Paramedic Craig Blick, who flies out of the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
He shared some of his LifeFlight experiences and thanked the crowd for their fundraising efforts.
- Related article: Road Crashes Keep Choppers Busy
