Westpac Rescue Helicopter Charity DH Race - Awaba

Date: January 17/18
Cost: $100 for pre-entry https://commerce34.pair.com/tzone/events/hmba/we... <- click here for online entry. The date on the entry page is wrong, this will be rectified ASAP. Correct date is Jan 17/18.
$120 for entry on the saturday, no entries taken on the sunday.
Categories: Same as for State and National Races.

Extensive changes to the track have occurred in the past few months, including new B-Lines at Lenny's Lefty/Wombat and Battle On with many more line modifications planned to make the trail more accessible to the non elite.

HMBA is pleased to announce that after having to rely on the Westpac Rescue Helicopter a few too many times it is planning to give back a little more than its usual donation to the service.

So, in recognition of the quality service they provide our community we are holding a DH event in January with all profit going to the Service.

The race is planned for the weekend of January 17/18, 2009 which will also provide people with a platform to warm up before the following weekends national champs in Canberra.

Entry Fee is set at $100 with on line entries open.

Saturday will be practice only, Sunday Practice and racing. Full shuttles provided on Saturday and Sunday.

If anyone would like to be involved in supporting or sponsoring this great cause please let us know as any support would be welcomed.

For those who don't know about the service, here are a few facts from their website.

* The Service began in 1975
* No patient has ever had to pay to be helped by Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
* Over 50% of the missions flown by the Rescue Helicopters each year are to attend motor vehicle, bike, rural and industrial accidents. The most common of these are to attend the scene of motor vehicle accidents.
* In the 12 months to 30 June 2006 the Helicopters transferred 328 people from a regional hospital to specialist hospital care.
* More than 1,000 missions are undertaken by the Service in our local community each year.
* It costs around $6.5 million a year to keep the helicopters and crews able to respond when needed.
* Most of the cost to run the Service is funded through donations, Volunteer Support Group activities and sponsorships by the community.
* The remainder is funded through contracts with the NSW Department of Health.
* There are three helicopters. Two operate from Broadmeadow and one from Tamworth.
* Each helicopter has a team highly trained pilots, crew members and in many instances paramedics.

Lenny_GTA