Saturday 13 October

Spring Indulgence Raises Over $75,000 for Rooftop Helipad at Christchurch Hospital

On Saturday 13 October 2018 188 guests attended Spring Indulgence, a charity event held in the EA Networks Marquee at Trott’s Garden, just outside of Ashburton. Over $76,250 was raised during the night through the live and silent auctions, with the event well supported by a number of local sponsors including ACL.

Proceeds from Spring Indulgence will help to fund a future-proof rooftop helipad and clinical support unit at Christchurch Hospital.

“We are totally blown away by the generosity of this community. We are so proud to have pulled off an event that showcased Mid Canterbury at its best”, said Ange Leadley, spokesperson for Club Ninety Eight.

In 2016 Maia Health Foundation committed to raising $2 million by December 2018 to obtain the enhancements to this much needed asset for Canterbury. After Spring Indulgence, the amount Maia still needs to reach their $2 million target is approximately $300,000.

Amount Raised

Over $50,000 was raised from the silent and live auctions, and to kick start the night there was a generous donation of $10,000 from Midland Holdings. The 15 items auctioned on the night included an overnight helicopter adventure at Gawler Downs Station, and a night in their Air BnB with catering by Chantelle Quinn. This auction item raised $12,000 alone as two under bidders matched the winning bid, and Neroli and Harley Davies agreed to host four more people.

Entertainment & Food

Guests were treated to a decadent four course meal of locavore seasonal produce with a menu curated by Chantelle Quinn’s Twenty Four Catering Co, and local vineyard CharRees provided a selection of varietals. Hamish Niles was an entertaining host of the evening, which included a showcase of amazing young talent from the area.

Kate Murney, her daughter Tara, and Dr David Bowie talked about how the rooftop helipad will decrease the transfer time from the current helipad in Hagley Park to Christchurch Hospital’s ED; an average of 13 minutes. Kate’s emotional recall of her experience was a moving example of how the enhanced future proof helipad will make a real difference to the local community.

Garth Gallaway, the Chair of Māia Health Foundation said, “We’re simply amazed by the generosity of the people of Mid Canterbury. This community’s commitment to enhancing Canterbury’s health services is incredible and we’re very grateful for the support. The Club Ninety Eight committee did a sterling job in organising the event.”

A Bold Mission

Christchurch Hospital is New Zealand’s busiest trauma centre and the only major hospital without a helipad on site. Currently it takes 13 minutes, on average, to transfer patients by ambulance to Christchurch Hospital after landing in Hagley Park. A larger helipad and purpose-built rooftop clinical support unit will mean critically unwell patients receive emergency hospital care immediately on touchdown, and a quicker transition to full care for routine transfers. For the Neonatal Unit, it will quicken the pickup and unloading of a neonatal incubator by up to an hour on a round trip.

Initial plans for the Acute Services Building included a rooftop helipad, however funding was allocated at a point when a smaller rooftop helipad was deemed sufficient. With the increased use of the air retrieval services by approximately 40% over the last three years, it became apparent that the region needed a larger helipad to cope with future demands. As funding was not available, Māia Health Foundation committed to raise $2 million by December 2018 to obtain these enhancements.

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About Māia Health Foundation

Māia Health Foundation was launched in May 2016 as a charitable trust to enhance regional health services, and as a charitable pathway for the Canterbury DHB and wider community.

Māia’s fundraising targets are bold and ambitious – helping to take Canterbury’s health services on a transition from good to great with two initial projects for Christchurch Hospital’s new acute services building:

An enhanced future proof rooftop helipad, including a purpose-built clinical support unit so that trauma patients can receive life-saving treatment upon touchdown; and

Enhancements to the children’s health facilities including shared family spaces, a play area, and parent beds in every child’s room.

About Club Ninety Eight

Club Ninety Eight was formed specifically to put together an event that showcases Mid Canterbury’s finest, raise the profile of Maia Health and raise some funds towards the future proofing of the helipad at Christchurch Hospital. The name Club Ninety Eight comes from the meeting house where this concept was first discussed. Our club’s members are either related or long-time friends; all part of the Ashburton community one way or another.

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