A MOUNT Gambier family not only won the hearts of the community at the Christmas parade, but has supported a lifesaving medical retrieval organisation and an important breast cancer support group.
The entry – titled Naughty Elves – was organised by the Treloar family and friends, winning the prize for Best Christmas Theme.
Marie Coleman and family decorated the family’s Morris Minor and the Treloar family as well as their friends joined in the fun dressed as elves.
The group then opened their hearts to two local charities, Royal Flying Doctor Service Mount Gambier Support Group and the Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group.
The prize of $500 was divided between the two charities.
RFDS Support Group president Bill Russon welcomed the donation, along with Maxine Tuffnell and Loraine Baron from the Cancer Awareness Group.
“They were thrilled the families had been so generous with their prize money and their gesture was really in the spirit of Christmas,” the spokespersons said.
The money will flow to RFDS patient transfer facility at the Mount Gambier Airport, while the Breast cancer Awareness Group will use it to support accommodation in Adelaide for families and cancer patients undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, the RFDS will take to the skies during the festive season for people needing to be transferred to a tertiary hospital.
According to statistics, the Flying Doctor was last year kept busy on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Figures show the aeromedical service undertook nearly 530 flights over these days across Australia to evacuate 290 patients.
Of these, 76 were indigenous, 157 non-indigenous and 57 unknown, 21 of these patients were aged under five and 71 were in the 65-plus age group.
Nearly 60 patients were transported for injury or poisoning and 38 for heart troubles.
Thirteen patients were transported for labour or pregnancy complications and babies needing urgent specialist care.
The RFDS flew for 618 hours, covering 200,449km in these three days of Christmas alone.
The Flying Doctor urges all Australians to stay safe and remain vigilant of their health over the holiday period, particularly when travelling in rural and remote Australia.
