“Holy cow,” was Jenny’s first reaction when the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust (ARHT) team and key sponsors unveiled her $300,000-plus Extreme Game King & Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 prize.

The Tokoroa resident purchased a $100 ticket in support of the ARHT service’s fundraiser and was at work when she got the call to tell her she’d been drawn as the lucky winner.

“I was at work and I couldn’t stop smiling all day – I went home with sore cheeks,” exclaimed Jenny.

She has a personal connection to the helicopter service that assisted her father in 2004.

“I’ve always supported them and I always make other people do it as well.”

Sponsor representatives attended the handover and all expressed their honour at being involved in the lottery project.

“We know how much the Trust does for the community – they’re our heroes out there and for us to be able to give back is an exciting and great opportunity,” said Yamaha’s Jason Rebello.

Money raised from the ARHT lottery has already saved lives and funded critical missions this summer.

For over 50 years, the lifesaving ARHT service has assisted the greater Auckland, outer Hauraki Gulf islands, and Coromandel communities. The ARHT provides a professional emergency air ambulance and search and rescue service, staffed full-time by a highly experienced flight crew consisting of pilots, paramedics, doctors, and aircrew officers.

The service completes over 1,000 missions annually, with a number of those being marine-related accidents, medical emergencies, and searches and rescues. As one of New Zealand’s most trusted charities and an essential medical service, the ARHT is reliant on the community’s goodwill and support to remain operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Jenny’s new pride and joy, aptly named Fun Raiser II, is ready to fish and cruise. The Extreme 745 Game King sits on a Hosking trailer and is powered by a Yamaha F250 outboard. It has been fitted out with all the bells and whistles, including Garmin electronics, Century batteries, Shimano fishing gear, and a GME VHF marine radio.

Towing Fun Raiser II is the latest Ford Ranger Wildtrak V6 double-cab utility. These top-selling vehicles have a 10-speed automatic gearbox, a fulltime 4WD system, and a 3.0 litre V6 turbo diesel – plenty of grunt to haul the Extreme 745 Game King, given its tow rating of up to 3,500kg.