WESTPAC Rescue Helicopter Service this year celebrates 50 years in the air, and part of those celebrations include a charity gala ball in Moree on Friday, August 29 – the grand curtain-opener to Moree Race Club’s new-look Moree Cup weekend of racing action.

The charity ball, to be held on the grounds of Moree racecourse, is supported by Grays Online, and will raise funds for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

The ball features former NRL star Daniel Mortimer from Mortimers Wines at Orange as guest speaker, a four-course meal, live entertainment and a huge charity auction and raffle.

The auction, currently live online at Gala Bid Moree Chopper Ball, will transfer to in-person on the night.

There are 12 items up for auction as well as 15 items in a silent auction.

View auction items here: Moree Chopper Ball Live Auction Items.

View silent auction items here: Moree Chopper Ball Silent Auction.

There are also 13 prizes in a raffle to be drawn on the night and two lucky door prizes.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service provides emergency aeromedical services 24-7 for the people of northern New South Wales, including search, rescue and inter-hospital transfers.

(from left) Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service CEO Richard Jones, 2024 Moree Town Plate winning trainer Scott Singleton and Moree race Club president Rob Mather at last year’s Moree Cup meeting.

The Hunter service was established in 1975, New England North West in 2000 and Lismore in 2017.

The service started operations 50 years ago as the Wales Rescue Helicopter in Newcastle, with an all-volunteer crew of local surf life savers flying a Bell 47 during summer weekends.

The service expanded into the north-west, in partnership with community leaders, on August 25, 2000, flying a Bell 407 from its base at Tamworth Airport.

In 2020, a number of milestones were passed including the 10,000th mission for a Westpac Helicopter from Lismore; 20 years of Service from Tamworth and 45 years of service from Newcastle and the Hunter.

Today, four AW139 helicopters operate from three bases at Newcastle, Tamworth and Lismore.

They service 1.5 million people with an experienced, operational team on call and ready to respond.

Moree Race Club has put together a new-look Moree Cup Carnival, with Agri Storage and Logistics locked in as Moree Cup sponsor for the next three years.

The family race-day on Sunday, August 31, features Fashions on the Field sponsored by Beauty Matters Moree, Assef’s, Robin’s Nest and Campbell’s Fuel Service, plenty of kids’ activities and a trackside marquee for all race-goers.

Cup day gourmet grazing boxes and cup day picnic share boxes are also available, with pre-ordering required by 8am Monday, August 25 at All Tickets and Race-Day Grazing Box Options.

The eight-race card, with a whopping $300,000 prize money, features the $55,000 Agri Storage and Logistics Moree Cup (1400m), $50,000 Moree Super Maiden (1400m) and $35,000 Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Moree Town Plate (950m).

Meanwhile, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Moree Volunteer Support Group will hold its annual general meeting in September and invites new members to go along and discover what volunteering for such a vital service is all about.

The AGM and general meeting will be held at Moree Golf Club on Tuesday, September 9 at 5.30pm.

For more information, contact Libby Smith on 0447 056281.

Moree Race Club Cup Weekend and Fundraiser

When: August 29-30-31

Where: Moree racecourse

August 29: Grays Online Charity Ball at Moree racecourse, from 5.30pm

August 31: Moree Cup race meeting at Moree racecourse, from midday

Tickets for all events: Agri Storage and Logistics Moree Cup Weekend of Racing

Online Auction: Gala Bid Moree Chopper Ball