{"id":216055,"date":"2018-08-21T00:26:29","date_gmt":"2018-08-20T14:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=216055"},"modified":"2020-07-28T13:45:13","modified_gmt":"2020-07-28T03:45:13","slug":"fun-day-fosters-community-spirit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/08\/21\/fun-day-fosters-community-spirit\/","title":{"rendered":"Fun Day Fosters Community Spirit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Peta Clarkson, from Goodstart Early Learning in Kingaroy, joined “Chief”, the LifeFlight Bear, to entertain the children at the Teddy Bears Picnic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

August 21, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second annual LifeFlight Community Fun Day – held in Kingaroy on Saturday – has raised about $17,600 for the rescue helicopter service.<\/p>\n

The mover and shaker behind the big day, Cardell Turner, said the event had gone well, but expenses this year had been greater than last year which had cut into profits.<\/p>\n

The South Burnett resident launched the Fun Day last year as part of an effort to repay LifeFlight for the care they provided when he suffered an horrific motorbike accident in 2016.<\/p>\n

He broke 12 ribs, several vertebrae, punctured his lung and cracked his chest wall – and wasn’t expected to survive.<\/p>\n

But the LifeFlight helicopter, with a critical care doctor on board, reached him in time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cardell organised the inaugural Fun Day in Memorial Park by himself, but this year had a committee helping him.<\/p>\n

The decision was made to shift it to the Kingaroy Showgrounds.<\/p>\n

New events were also added, including the Top Gun Challenge which included an obstacle course, tug o’ war and ute pull.<\/p>\n

The day kicked off with a Teddy Bears Picnic, a perfect opportunity for “Chief”, the LifeFlight bear, to make an appearance.<\/p>\n

There was also live entertainment on stage all day, as well as fun events including celebrity dunking.<\/p>\n

Cardell said some changes would be implemented for next year’s event, including a later start at noon.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pig racing (popular in 2017) will also return, but so will the Top Gun Challenge.<\/p>\n

Cardell said the organising committee had formed a not-for-profit incorporated association, Flight Savers Inc, to put on this year’s event.<\/p>\n

It was now offering its help to other committees arranging events in the South Burnett.<\/p>\n

The association has three jumping castles, a merry-go-round, dunk tank, pop corn machine and fairy floss maker which it can hire out at a reduced cost.<\/p>\n