Rams get their season-long fundraising campaign off to a flying start.
Derby County’s season-long partnership with Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA) has got off to a flying start.
Back in July, the Rams announced the DLRAA as their charity partner for the 2013/14 season and ambitious target of £23,228, Derby’s average home attendance last season, was set out to raise during the campaign.
DLRAA has been circling the skies of the East Midlands since 2008, keeping people safe and helping to save lives every single day of the year.
As a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), they attend many different incidents including road traffic collisions, horse riding accidents, sporting injuries and medical emergencies such as cardiac arrests.
Their dedicated paramedics, doctors and pilots work together to provide advanced clinical care to patients at the scene of the accident, before flying them to the most suitable hospital.
Flying out of East Midlands Airport, they attend an average of three rescue missions every single day with the capability to attend even more should the need arise. Each rescue mission costs an average of £1,400 so the Air Ambulance has a team of dedicated fundraisers working hard across the counties to ensure that their helicopter remains in the sky.
Thanks to the generous help of the Derby faithful, over £2,000 has already been raised by a variety of different methods.
Bucket collections at the recent home games against West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers helped raised over £1,500 alone, while a pop-up stall at Pride Park and the ‘Text To Donate’ service have tipped the amount raised so far over the £2,000 mark.
David Reeves, Fundraising Manager for DLRAA said: “What a great start to our campaign of fundraising with Derby County!
“Thank you for all the wonderful support from the fans at the games against West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers, who not only donated money, but also offered to help with volunteering too.
“It’s not only about the cash in the buckets to keep our service saving lives, it’s also about the time and skills people can offer to help us out too.”
Derby County President & Chief Executive Sam Rush said: “We’re off to a flying start and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.
“Our fans have already shown a wiliness to support a very worthy cause and we’ll be counting on their support to get involved in the events we have planned over the course of the season.”
You can find out more information about the DLRAA by visiting: theairambulanceservice.org.uk.
Keep checking back to dcfc.co.uk for more details on this exciting partnership, and upcoming events, soon.
