Many, if not all, Mid Cantabrians will have had contact with the rescue helicopter, whether personally or knowing someone who has needed its services.

So when it came to deciding where to donate tens of thousands of dollars raised locally, the Mid Canterbury Vintage Machinery Club knew exactly where to hand over the cheque.

Forty-five machine enthusiasts took a bus up to Christchurch last weekend - and not to check out vintage kit.

The Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue team greeted members as they pulled into the hangar.

In April, the club held its third Wheat and Wheels Rally.

Tractors, combine harvesters and farm machinery old and new took to the fields on Anthony Hampton’s farm near Ashburton.

“We started the rallies in 2013, but we only do them every three years and then there was Covid, so this is the third one we’ve had," Hampton said.

Hampton, rally chairperson and club treasurer, said around $50,000 was made from the rally, and a raffle held for a refurbished 1950s Ferguson FE-35 tractor.

A total of $30,000 was left over to donate after operational costs.

The club chose to send the funds to the air rescue service.

“It’s a very good cause. There are probably no [Ashburton] families that haven’t had contact with it through a friend or relation.

“The funds are raised in Canterbury, and they stay in Canterbury.”

As a thank you, the club was invited to tour the two helicopters running out of the Christchurch hangar.

The club were treated to a morning tea and hot cuppa as they explored the choppers.

Juliet Fitzpatrick, a critical care paramedic, has been working with air rescue for 10 years. She says the service wouldn’t be possible without donors.

“You combine medicine with aviation, and it’s outrageously expensive.”

She said the funds could go towards new helicopters, or new kit for the current ones.

“Sometimes we like to have dedicated bits of equipment, like a ventilator or a new monitor.

“It’s good for people to have this tangible thing and say ‘we paid for that’”.

The club also visited the airport fire service at Christchurch Airport and the Wigram Airforce Museum before returning to Ashburton.

By Anisha Satya