Chopper upstages Kaino in school visit

Westpac Chopper ambassador, All Black Jerome Kaino at Point View School in Dannemora. Photo / Dean Purcell

It's not every day an All Black is upstaged by a machine, but that's exactly what happened yesterday.

The children at Point View Primary School, in Dannemora, cheered louder for the arrival of the Westpac rescue helicopter landing on their field than for the passenger it was carrying - Jerome Kaino.

The helicopter drew from classrooms children who excitedly screamed and waved at the brightly coloured machine and leaned into the wind it created, arms thrown open.

Some had little Westpac helicopters of their own which they held up and compared to the life-sized version.

And then the man himself appeared dressed in a bright red polo shirt and towering over the small children.

"Who is he?" one boy asked his friend after seeing the Rugby World Cup-winning player.

"He's a rugby player," his friend said.

"Does he still play rugby?"

But nonetheless Kaino, a Chopper Ambassador, had his diehard fans who got their iPhones signed and filmed his entrance on their iPads, no doubt to proudly show their parents later.

The primary's senior school students welcomed the helicopter's crew and the All Black with a rendition of Bruno Mars' Count On Me.

The students have been studying the Westpac rescue helicopter trust charity and so had lots of questions, arms stretched high, after crewman Mark "Tinny" Cannell told them about what the chopper does every day.

Interestingly, Mr Cannell was on board two years ago when the helicopter called to rescue one of Point View's teachers who injured his neck while sea-biscuiting on the Coromandel.

The staffer, Anthony Wright, doesn't quite remember what happened. All he knows is that he woke up back on land after St John Ambulance paramedics said his injuries were serious and he needed to be flown to hospital. It turned out he had damaged a vertebra in his neck.

As Mr Wright was recounting the story, Mr Cannell piped up and asked if "it was by that ridge? Oh yeah, I went to that one," he said.

It's always pretty special when the chopper crew are reunited with the people they saved, pilot Rob Anderson said.

May is Westpac Chopper Appeal month to raise awareness and funds for the trust, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to rescue people inn emergency situations.

And tomorrow, the Westpac Chopper National Street Appeal will take place. It's now in its eighth year.

Donations can also be made at any Westpac branch or, to donate $3, by texting CHOPPER to 3181.