A recent dragon boat race on the water in Lincoln has raised tens of thousands of pounds to help purchase a second life-saving helicopter. The event saw local people and businesses competing along the waterfront to support the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance charity. Rowers took part in the challenge while crowds gathered along the river edge to cheer them on.
Winners and Festivities
Lincoln Security claimed first place in the contest, while the Brook and Mayo team secured a close second position. Visitors also participated in a special quiz trail across city shops to find hidden letters and unlock discount booklets. The fun event included food stalls, drinks, and outdoor games under the warm summer sunshine for families to enjoy.
All money raised from the contest goes towards buying another emergency aircraft to help treat critically ill people across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The air service currently relies on one helicopter, but medical staff miss around 400 calls each year because they cannot be in two places at once.
Charity Official Speaks
Rachel Wilson, who works for the medical charity, said: "What an incredible day at this year’s Dragon Boat Festival. On behalf of the charity, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to our fantastic event partners at Ringrose Law and to our generous sponsors – Dynex Semiconductors, Magna Radio, Hortons Chery, and Sinarchie Media – whose support helped make this event such a tremendous success."
"A huge thank you also goes to all the teams who took part, fundraised so brilliantly, and threw themselves into the spirit of the day. Your enthusiasm, commitment and friendly competition created a truly memorable event. We are equally grateful to everyone who came along to watch, cheer on the teams, and support the festival – the atmosphere on the day was simply amazing."
"Events like this are about much more than racing. They bring our community together and provide a wonderful opportunity for us to meet and speak with our incredible supporters, volunteers and fundraisers who make our life-saving work possible."
"Most importantly, every pound raised from the event will go towards our Mission Possible 2 appeal to help fund a second helicopter, enabling us to save even more lives across our region."
"Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this year's Dragon Boat Festival such a success. We can’t wait to do it all again – see you next year on 17 July!"
Fundraising Progress
Generous donors have already given more than £200,000 towards the £500,000 total target needed to buy the new flying ambulance. The charity still needs to raise another £300,000 to reach its final goal and get the aircraft ready for action.
Joe Waterton, who helps run the charity fundraising, commented: “We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received so far. It has been inspiring to see the commitment and generosity shown towards Mission Possible 2, and reaching the £200,000 milestone is a fantastic achievement. We simply could not have done it without our amazing supporters. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in helping us move closer to making a second helicopter a reality.”
To donate to the appeal, visit the charity website at www.ambucopter.org.uk.
