For Grafton’s Warren Tozer, receiving an Order of Australia Medal is a great chance to raise publicity for the community organisations he has been involved in. Mr Tozer’s involvement in community causes began the moment he arrived in town in 1979, when he joined the fundraising team that was working to establish a life-saving rescue helicopter service. This service was successfully established as the Westpac life Saver Rescue Helicopter, and Mr Tozer has been heavily involved ever since, taking on roles including chairman and volunteer director. The service has since saved countless lives. “The satisfaction you get when you work as a volunteer for an organisation like the rescue helicopter, is when someone comes up to you and says, ‘you saved my little girl’,” Mr Tozer said. Mr Tozer also became involved in the Grafton District Services Club (GDSC) board, taking on roles such as director and chair of the board. He said the club has played a huge role in the community, donating much to local causes including sporting clubs. He also played an integral role in establishing Helping Hands, through the GDSC, which he said has raised around $900,000 for people in need in the 20 years it has existed. Horse racing was also of strong interest to Mr Tozer, joining the South Grafton Jockey Club. At the time the Clarence had three separate jockey clubs, and Mr Tozer was involved in the move to amalgamate them into one united Clarence club. He has remained at the helm as director for many years. Mr Tozer said the July Race Carnival was of particular importance, not only providing a prominent social occasion, but creating a financial boost for Grafton. “I don’t have much spare time between helicopter service, the club, and the others, but I enjoy it … it’s easy to volunteer, and there are so many terrific organisations,” Mr Tozer said. He encouraged others in the community to get involved in volunteering, as it was extremely rewarding. “The enjoyment I get by simply volunteering a bit of time is knowing that it does help the community. If people have a bit of time to volunteer they should do so – join an organisation,” he said.