Four blokes, 3,000km of cycling and a $25,000 fundraising goal

Odds are that you, a friend, or a close relative will require the services of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. To help ensure you’ll never have to think twice about the level of service you’ll need when ringing 111, four Ashburton men are on a serious fundraising mission to ensure this life preserving service remains.

WORDS BY RACHAEL RICKARD, IMAGE SUPPLIED

Fitter than most 40-year-olds and averaging the age of 62, “The Rescue Warriors” aka Willy Leferink, David Keeley, Bruce Kell and Warren Harris decided earlier this year that the 3,000km Tour Aotearoa Brevet, which commences in February 2022 - from Cape Reinga to Bluff - would be a great way to prove that their bodies are not yet ready for retirement. To help keep them inspired, they decided they’ll need the boost of a great cause, and what better than a medical service that they joke “we may require during our adventure.” Like many thousands of Cantabrians, the motivation for raising funds for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust comes from personal experience of the service and an expectation that it will just always be there. In fact, almost all recipients transported by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter assumed the same, not realising that it takes hundreds of thousands of fundraised dollars to keep this service in the air. Personal reasons also helped motivate the men as both Bruce’s father and brother-inlaw and Warren’s mother had been in the rescue helicopter. And surprising to many, Mid Canterbury rescues average around 25% of all Canterbury missions for the year, a number that is on the rise, due to an increasing number of inter-hospital transfers from Ashburton to Christchurch, farmers who have accidents, and acute requirements such as those required following weather events such as the May flooding, and flow on effects from the closures and stoppages on the Ashburton Bridge. Tour Aotearoa is a bike-packing event where riders are self-supported for the entire 3,000km journey. The event is not a race, it’s a ride which follows a set course, with participants navigating through 30 photo checkpoints, all of which must be completed between 10 and 30 days – no more and no less. The Brevet attracts like-minded people as you must make a $100 donation to a charity of your choice. Besides this donation, all entrants are asked to offset their carbon emissions from travelling to the start and from the end. In 2020 just over 750 riders started, with the event run annually, beginning in February each year with the exact time depending on tide times at 90 Mile Beach. The four intrepid riders start their campaign on February 25, 2022 (Bruce’s 60th birthday!) They aim to complete the journey in 25 days. With the team including three shareholders and one retired Board member, Ruralco are incredibly proud to be supporting the Rescue Warriors and their mission to help support the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust.

IMAGE: Willy Leferink, Bruce Kell, David Keeley and Warren Harris

Any donation to the Rescue Warriors will be gratefully received either directly through their bank account:

The Rescue Warriors 03-0835-0090956-00

or via their Give a Little fundraising page:

www.givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/ rescue-helicopter-bike-3000km

For those wishing to follow The Rescue Warriors progress head to their Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/TheRescueWarriors