Freemasons in all over the world donate great sums of money each year to charity, and this past year was no exception. English Masons in particular concentrate heavily on projects for their communities.
London area Masons from the Metropolitan Grand Lodge are past the halfway point in donating £2 million - almost US$3 million - for the funding of a new air ambulance helicopter for their city.
From the Londonmasons.org.uk website:
London Freemasons are donating £2 million pounds towards the 'Your London, Your Helicopter' campaign of London's Air Ambulance which aims to provide a second emergency medical helicopter for use by London's Air Ambulance advanced trauma team. The aim of the second helicopter is to extend daylight flying hours, thus providing an even more effective emergency service to London.
Graham Hodgkin, CEO of London's Air Ambulance, said "We are blown away by the generosity of London Freemasons which brings us significantly closer to our aim of having a second emergency medical helicopter up and running by this summer. For many years, London Freemasons have been regular supporters of our work and we thank all those Freemasons across the Metropolitan area who will be working tirelessly to raise the two million pounds"
The Freemasons' fund-raising campaign kicked off with the presentation of a cheque for £250,000 at Freemasons' Hall on Thursday, 5th March 2015 to Neil Jeffers, Chief Pilot of LAA, by the Metropolitan Grand Master, Russell J. Race, DL. Russell Race commented, "Freemasons both in London and all over the country have been donating to Air Ambulances for many years. We at the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London are delighted however to have an opportunity to specifically assist in the provision of this vital second helicopter for London".
This first instalment was followed by a further £750,000, which was handed over by Sir Michael Snyder, the new Metropolitan Grand Master, on Thursday 5th November 2015. London has now reached the half-way mark in the appeal after just 8 months.
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As if to underline the usefulness of the new helicopter, within five minutes of the launch ceremony start, it was called away to an accident but was back in place for further photographs around 20 minutes later, with the patient rushed downstairs into the waiting Accident and Emergency department.
