THERE'S nothing quite so rewarding as the feeling of saving another person's life, most search and rescue volunteers can tell you.
As for financial rewards, well, those aren't usually quite so assured.
North Shore Rescue team leader Tim Jones is actively mounting a campaign to secure legacy funding to keep the organization financially afloat in good times and bad - but sometimes, the rescuees dig deep to show their thanks.
Terry Park, a snowshoer who was badly injured in a tumble down a Hollyburn Mountain gully in January, dropped by the NSR's new training base last Tuesday to give back.
"He came with his wife and his family and thanked our team and provided us with a $5,000 donation to say thank you. It was greatly, greatly appreciated," said John Blown, NSR team member.
Park also delivered a special thank you from his farm - 40 boxes of apples for the NSR volunteers to take home.
Sebastian Boucher, who was rescued by NSR after spending three days lost in the out-of-bounds area of Hollyburn Mountain in mid-December, has already donated $1,000 with family and friends, but he has even bigger plans.
Boucher is organizing the inaugural Survival Cup, a four-on-four charity ball hockey tournament to raise more for his rescuers.
"I'd love to do as much as I can for them because they do a lot of good, wonderful work and it's all volunteer. I'm pretty sure they're blowing their budgets for all the rescues they've done this year and last year," he said.
The event runs in Rockland, Ont., near Boucher's hometown on the Quebec border, on June 29.
"I couldn't thank them enough," he said. "I feel sad I put them through the ordeal I put them through, but at the end of the day I'm glad I met them because they're amazing people."
NSR is also using Fundrazr, an online donation system that allows users to select a cause or campaign and donate a desired amount. NSR is aiming to raise $2,500 to buy SPR blankets - lightweight, compact blankets that are super-efficient at trapping and keeping body heat.
"It can make all the difference. If we've been dealing with someone who has been out all night or is hypothermic, they need to be rewarmed, otherwise they're not going to be able to walk out or they're going to become even more hypothermic, and we're going to be dealing with someone who could be nonresponsive," he said.
Donations can be made by searching "North Shore Rescue" at fundrazr.com.
Donations for the legacy campaign can be sent via NSR's website at northshorerescue. com.
"We're very, very low on our cash," Blown said. "Every month our treasurer Ron Royston gets stressed out looking at what's coming in and what's going out and how we're going to pay the bills. We hope the legacy campaign is going to help with that."
Scan this page with the Layar app for links to North Shore Rescue's fundraising campaigns.
