WOOLGROWERS in the New England will help keep the region’s Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service flying following the launch of a fleece drive recently.
The drive allows woolgrowers to donate a bag, fleece, or bale of wool at shearing or selling.
The idea came from Yarrowitch woolgrower Hamish McLaren, “Braeside”, who also sits on the New England North West helicopter committee.
He knows first-hand the value of the chopper, having lost his arm in a farm accident in 1999.
“I walked into an aeroplane propeller in 1999 and lost my arm,” Mr McLaren said.
“It took eight hours to get to Sydney, because the helicopter came from Newcastle.
“The doctors told me that if I’d made it in six hours it would have saved my arm.
“Had the chopper come from Tamworth, it would have been a lot quicker.”
Since then, the McLaren family has donated proceeds from the first ram sold at its annual Nerstane Merinos sale to the rescue service.
Tamworth received its first rescue helicopter in 2000, but Mr McLaren said constant fundraising was needed to keep it in the air.
“Every fleece counts and it doesn’t take long to add up,” he said.
“That’s the great part. It can be as little or as much as you want.
“All growers need to do is contact their broker and they’ll organise to get it to (woolbrokers)?Fox and Lillie.
“They look after what’s donated and it goes straight into the helicopter account."