Doug McCaulay hands over the keys to Rex Wheeler. Photo / Leanne Warr
Dannevirke St John has a new ambulance with the help of the national organisation and a non-profit trust.
The ambulance was officially gifted to the ambulance service last week.
Worth $250,000, $100,000 was donated by the Aotearoa Gaming Trust toward the cost, while the remainder came from St John.
Aotearoa Gaming Trust deputy chair Doug McCaulay was in Dannevirke last week
to hand over the keys to St John.
He said one of the biggest purposes in his role was to find the best place and the best use of funding that came from venue partners.
"Part of what appeals to me is not just the history of St John, but from an ambulance service perspective there is very little in the funding world that I assess that is truly indiscriminate."
Everyone, no matter how old or what their background was, was more than likely to need St John's service at one time in their lives.
The ambulance, made by Mercedes, was considered "the best equipment you can possibly get in the world," McCaulay said.
What was even more relevant for Dannevirke was that the funds that helped towards the cost of the new ambulance came from a local venue - the Saigon Bar.
"They were incredibly supportive of when our decision came through to say we would really like to support St John."
McCaulay said that sometimes smaller towns like Dannevirke, as well as other places in the Tararua District, didn't get noticed.
He said he had tried to make sure that it did get noticed.
Rex Wheeler, Knight of St John, came to the dedication as a representative of the Order of St John to accept the gift on their behalf.
He said behind the ceremony there was history, from the Order itself and for the wellbeing for the people who were going to be working in the vehicle, as well as the patients that will be carried in it.
Wearing a mantle for the ceremony was important.
"The mantles represent about 900-plus years of history of St John."
Wheeler said when the Order first started, the knights wearing the mantle possibly had a slightly different perspective on what they should be doing, as opposed to what the Order did now with helping the sick and injured.
"I'm wearing this mantle as a member of the order of St John, which is a royal order, and it is this mantle, the Order, that is receiving this donation from you."
The gifting was followed by a blessing and prayer from Reverend Adrienne Bruce of the Anglican Diocese of Waiapu.
Maureen Reynolds, chair of the area committee, said she was delighted that Dannevirke was a recipient of the donation.
"It's something that is needed in every community."
She said patients were taken regularly from Dannevirke to Palmerston North and sometimes further afield, so a good, reliable vehicle was essential.
She acknowledged the operations team, which would be using the ambulance when it officially comes into service.
"On behalf of the area committee, I'd like to offer the operations team our thanks. Best wishes to those who will be responding in this vehicle to assist and care for our members of our Dannevirke district and community."
'They get territorial': Commercial fisherman cops abuse.