Lottoland Fulfils Charity Pledge

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The gesture continues Lottoland’s commitment to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), after giving the charity a chance to build brand awareness by offering up it’s back-of-jersey sponsorship for a Manly Sea Eagles match last month.

"We appreciate the generous donation from Major Sponsor Lottoland, which will directly benefit our capital-raising program for the replacement of our ‘flying intensive care units’ – at a cost of more than $7 million each," RDFS General Manager Northern Territory Michael Toomey said.

Details About the Donation

Lottoland initially pledged $25,000 to the Royal Flying Doctor Service plus an additional $25 for each entrant into Darwin’s iconic Lottoland Mitchell Street Million Dollar Mile.

The race saw a total of approx. 800 entrants, which resulted in an additional $20,000 generated for the aeromedical organisation, taking the final total to $45,000.

However, as a further gesture of goodwill, Lottoland decided to add an extra $5,000 on top, generously rounding the donation to a total of $50,000 to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

This donation continues Lottoland’s policy to support local communities, further demonstrated in its current partnerships with the NRL’s Manly Sea Eagles and the AFL’s Sydney Swans.

How Donations Help the Royal Flying Doctor Service

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is today one of the biggest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world, providing much needed emergency health care for those living in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia.

Donations to the Royal Flying Doctor Service assist them in saving and improving the lives of people living, working and travelling in Outback Australia.

People in these areas do not have access to hospitals or general practices due to the vast distances of Outback Australia, and the RFDS provides much needed support for people living in these areas.

The not-for-profit charity is constantly working to see that those living in rural and remote areas can enjoy the same health outcomes as those living in city areas.

Further Information About the Royal Flying Doctor Service

The Royal Flying Doctor Service, then known as the Aerial Medical Service, under the control of the Australian Inland Mission, became operational on May 15, 1928. The first flying doctor of the service was Dr K St Vincent Welch and the first flying doctor pilot, Arthur Affleck of Qantas. Qantas, today a major international airline, was in those days still a small bush airline, known as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service (Q.A.N.T.A.S).

The first aircraft used by the newly established Service was a de Havilland DH-50A; a single engine, timber and fabric biplane, which cruised at 80 miles an hour and could carry, apart from the pilot, a doctor, a nurse or sitting patient and stretcher.

The Service’s first and for some years only base, was at Cloncurry in Western Queensland. The first year’s service was regarded as experimental, but that experiment succeeded and almost miraculously survived the Great Depression of the late 1920’s and early 1930’s.

However, the growth of the service made heavy demands on available funds and repeatedly John Flynn and his associates had to launch public appeals for donations upon which the service – still today – so heavily relies.

While some Government financial aid was made available on occasions in the early days of the service, Government subsides (both Federal and State) on a regular basis became an established practice later on. Even today the service continues to rely heavily on money from trusts, donations and public appeals.

Donate today to help support the Royal Flying Doctor Service as they continue to make an impact on the lives and health of those in rural and Outback Australia:

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