The team at Koppers Carbon Materials and Chemicals is helping to keep a vital aeromedical rescue service for people in the Newcastle and Hunter region in the air.

Staff have donated $25,000 from their pay to Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service since a Workplace Giving program was established in 2017. Koppers has matched the staff donations taking the total contribution to date to $50,000. It will continue to match all staff donations.

Koppers Operations Manager Nick Moretti, Business Analyst Jay Solanki and Operations Team Leader Adam Laskazeski presented a cheque to the service’s Regional Partnerships Officer Graeme Rowe and Community and Business Partnerships Manager Jason Bourke on a visit this month to its Broadmeadow base and maintenance facility.

Mr Laskazeski said he donates to the service because it does an amazing job rescuing injured people or quickly getting them to an emergency department for treatment.

“Hopefully it is not the case, but you never know if you or someone you know will need help from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter,” Mr Laskazeski said.

“When I see the red and yellow choppers in the air, I know I am helping to potentially save someone’s life.”

Mr Bourke said the service is very grateful for the support from Koppers and its staff. He said every dollar is important in ensuring the service can be there for the community – 24/7. The service is involved in giving people medical treatment or trauma assistance while getting them to hospital quickly, search and rescues, and winching people from tough terrain and seas or inaccessible areas.

“Last financial year, Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service completed just under 1,500 missions across Northern NSW,” Mr Bourke said.

“Donations from Koppers and other organisations keep our helicopters flying. It costs $4,500 an hour just to fly the helicopters,” he said.

“Having Koppers match its staff workplace giving donations no doubt gives staff extra encouragement to donate – doubling the impact of their support.”

Koppers has 56 staff working at its plant in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service flies state-of-the-art Leonardo AgustaWestland (AW139) helicopters fitted with advanced medical support equipment. To find out more about or to donate visit www.rescuehelicopter.com.au