Royal Flying Doctor Service host Xmas in July fundraiser at Busselton Golf Courtse

More than 500 calls for the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s help came from the Capes during the past year. The number of call-outs is so high that a team of dedicated volunteers is asking the community to dig deep into its pockets to help keep the critical service in the air. Set to take place tomorrow at the Busselton Golf Club, the RFDS’ Christmas in July event is the not-for-profit organisation’s biggest fundraiser in the area and will support its essential operations in the region for the next 12 months. It comes after 574 calls for help from people in the South West were recorded between July 2020 and June 2021 by the RFDS operations office based in Jandakot, marking an average of 10 patients transferred every week. It reported the most common call-out was for injury and poisoning with 150 calls for help, closely followed by 111 calls for circulatory system issues, and 68 calls for digestive system issues. In 2018, the service held its first Christmas in July, and it is now a major contributor to meeting its $60,000 minimum yearly fundraising goal. The other 70 per cent of the service’s funding comes from the State and Commonwealth Governments. RFDS Busselton fundraising team president Jacinta Lee said Christmas in July was now one of several fundraisers in Busselton and Dunsborough each year. “We’ll be putting on a three-course meal for those who attend,” she said. “A lot of local businesses and services in town have donated goods, and we will be running auctions and some other fundraising activities.” Ms Lee said call-outs to the Capes had grown exponentially in the past year and the team at the RFDS expected this number to continue to grow. “We’ve found this year, probably due to COVID-19, the demand for RFDS in the South West has grown as more tourists come down and more people relocate to the area,” she said. Money raised by the Busselton fundraising team will go directly to operational costs for the RFDS. Tomorrow’s fundraiser will go ahead from 6pm, and tickets can be bought online at bit.ly/2U9tWQ8.