NZDF takes the Plunge for Charity
Heart Stopper Challenge 2010
Cool dudes
Flight Sergeant Jake Jacobs recently participated in a ‘cool’ activity to raise funds for the Heart Children NZ Charity—a not-for-profit organisation that supports heart surgery for Kiwi kids.
For the last five years, personnel from Army Log (nee Logistics Executive) have helped raise money for this New Zealand children’s charity.
F/S Jacobs is currently posted to Army Log and decided his Army comrades couldn’t suffer alone, and that the Air Force should have a presence at this very public event. F/S Jacobs did the Royal New Zealand Air Force proud and insisted on wearing an Air Force shirt, ensuring that the Army couldn’t get away with taking all the glory!
While there were the usual sausage sizzles and auctions for donated goods, the ‘highlight’ of the fundraising occurred on the corner of Courtney Place and Taranaki Street, Wellington—the Heart Stopper Challenge. There, teams from various companies fundraised by taking an ‘invigorating’ dip in a spa pool of ice and water for five minutes.
This year Army Log raised over $3,000—an impressive amount for this worthy cause.
The Inspiration
Twelve babies are born every week with a heart defect in New Zealand. For many of these children, medical intervention is their only chance of survival. This year alone, 450 open heart surgeries will be conducted on Kiwi children. During surgery, the child is cooled down in icy slush to slow the heart—hence the inspiration for this unique event.