Every time Kylie Howe hears the rescue helicopter fly over Moranbah, she stops and thinks about what that sound really means. Someone’s world has just been turned upside down and they need that lifesaving service. While the rest of us are going about our daily lives, someone nearby is living through one of their worst moments. That’s when Kylie knew she had to help.
Every single month, Kylie volunteers her time to collect and count donations for CQ Rescue across town. As Moranbah’s only community fundraiser for the service, her contribution is quiet but critical.
Working full time and juggling family life, she takes a day off each month with the support of her boss. After dropping her kids at school, she hits the road armed with a box of fresh donation tins and a well-worn loop that takes her from the Workers Club to the bakery, out to the airport and BP on the Peak Downs Highway, and many other places around town.
She swaps out the tins, collects signatures from each business, then returns home to start counting. Depending on how full the tins are, the tallying process can take a few hours. It’s a quiet task, but one that adds up to real impact.
Once sorted into coin bags, she visits the bank to exchange them for notes, deposits the total into the CQ Rescue account at the post office, then prepares a spreadsheet and mails it off to the Mackay team. Another month down, and it’s time to pick up the kids.
Sometimes the tins fill up ahead of schedule and businesses give her a call to swap them early. Occasionally, while she’s out doing collections, the helicopter flies overhead. Other times, strangers approach to share how CQ Rescue helped them or someone they love. It’s those moments that keep her going.
Without a local volunteer like Kylie, these community donations might not be collected as regularly. She knows her time in the role won’t last forever but hopes someone else in Moranbah will take it on when the time comes.
Her favourite part is simply getting out into the community, raising awareness and encouraging people to give what they can. Money can be tight, but every little bit helps.
With life getting busier and the months flying by, that sound overhead still gives her pause. It’s a reminder of why she does what she does.
And the impact is real. In 2024, CQ Rescue completed 729 missions across Central and North Queensland, operating two AW139 helicopters and providing critical aeromedical care when it’s needed most.
Kylie’s message to others is simple, volunteering for CQ Rescue is easy. The team is supportive and approachable, and if she ever needs anything, they’re there.
She encourages anyone with a bit of time and a heart for helping to get involved. Because every coin counts and every flight could save a life.
