Half a Soccer Ball
-Inspires Worthy Goal
The Alola Foundation
By WGCDR J. Martin, ADF
There were lots of smiles going around East Timor’s Alola Foundation recently when No. 3 Squadron’s Leading Aircraftman Corey Lamb, visited the Foundation to hand over the proceeds from his fundraising efforts.
Corey, a member of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in East Timor, along with his Commanding Officer Squadron Ben Pryor and the Officer Commanding East Timor Aviation Group (OC ETAG) Major Scott Watkins, presented almost $150,000 to the Alola Foundation, to help support maternal and child health care initiatives undertaken by the Foundation.
‘I saw a little Timorese boy kicking half a soccer ball around with his friends and while they were happy enough, I thought I could make things a little better for them and that’s where the idea to do some fundraising came from,’ Corey said.
Originally, Corey’s thoughts were on organising a walkathon around the airfield at the Heliport where No. 3 Squadron had two UH-1H Royal New Zealand Helicopters supporting ISF operations in East Timor. ‘Any fundraising activity in the Service is generally well received when it involves sport, health or fitness’, Corey said. However, Corey’s concept of a walkathon around the Heliport perimeter hit a wall when Heliport security and safety protocols prevented such activities.
Notwithstanding the initial set-back, ‘Corey was determined to carry on’, Squadron Leader Pryor said. Corey’s next move was to gain approval to raffle a flying experience with the Squadron. He then went around the men and women serving with the ISF and appealed to their generosity. ‘This was definitely a more time consuming activity than the walkathon, but our people saw a good Samaritan with a good cause and, within the time frame he set himself, Corey managed to raise almost $150,000,’ Squadron Leader Pryor said.
When asked about why he chose to give the funds to the Alola Foundation, Corey said,‘I looked them up on the internet and realised that among the many good things they did for the East Timor community, they would help small children just like the one I saw with half a soccer ball’. Director of the Alola Foundation, Ann Fisher said, ‘We were really overwhelmed when Corey contacted us, out of the blue, to say that he would like to do some fundraising for the Foundation to help Timorese children. He will bring a smile to the face of our many mums and their children with his fundraising efforts. We are very grateful for his thoughtfulness,’ Ann said.
The RNZAF’s No. 3 Squadron was part of the New Zealand Defence Force’s contribution to a request from the Government of Timor Leste, to assist in restoring peace and stability to their country. The ISF is comprised of approximately 170 New Zealand and 750 Australian and Defence Force members.