A collaboration between Westpac and Fat Mum Slim.
Do you know what you wanted to be as a kid? I love the way kids have big dreams, and anything is possible. They truly believe that dream could and perhaps will come true. It’s part of that magic of childhood. The endless possibilities. It’s just… magic.
That dream for Shane {Hubby} was to be a Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter volunteer. He was always involved in Surf Life Saving, and still is, and used to see the helicopter fly over… and he’d look up and think, ‘one day’.
We’ve been married for 12 years and together for many more, and I didn’t know about this dream of his… until this past weekend. I was heading up to check out the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service base and planned on taking the kids, and he moved heaven and earth to make sure that he was there with me.
The Queensland Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service has been running for 41 years this year, and runs invaluable search and rescue missions over our beaches.. Since the Service started, it’s had over 80,000 missions nationally, and is a completely free community service… every single individual who has been rescued has not had to pay a cent.
I spoke to Andrew at the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue base about how it all works, and how volunteers dedicate days of their weekends regularly to the Service, helping keeping our coastlines safe. One of those people is our own family friend, Byron, who has been a volunteer for 19 years now, and he even came to the base to help show us around, to share some personal stories. I loved seeing how proud he was of the Service, and the work that he and the crew do.
I love that Shane got to experience his dream… even for just a moment, and also that this Service is making such a difference. Each day they’ll patrol our beautiful beaches, and let the Surf Life Saving clubs below when there are issues that need to be addressed. In some cases, they’ll have to winch one of their crew down and pull people out of danger. The skills involved by the team are pretty phenomenal, and the difference they’re making is so important to our communities.
Westpac has just released a free app for kids that is really fun too, based around the work that people like Andrew do. It’s called the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Schools Program App which has two games; Westpac Rescue Rangers and Westpac Little Ripper. It’s a fun app that teaches our kids and also engages them around the beautiful work that the crew does, as well as a maths program too.
It was fun to show the kids how the Service works in real life, and then be able to bring the kids home and have them do it virtually in the app as well. I think it’s a beautifully made app {and I know, having my own app!}. It’s easy to use, really beautiful aesthetically, and educational too. I’m super impressed and so are the girls.
You can download the free app for iOS, and for Google Play here. Have fun! And next time you see a Westpac Lifesaver Recue Helicopter flying overhead, give them a big wave… because they’re doing REALLY good things, making our community a safer place for us to be.
If ever my hubby ends up being able to work and live at home full time (?) that would be his job of choice too. đŸ™‚ Must download the app for Ari.