Western News: October 02, 2018
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WESTERN NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
Tuesday <strong>October</strong> 2 <strong>2018</strong> 11<br />
<strong>News</strong><br />
Mike ready to slide off to L.A<br />
• By Anan Zaki<br />
ST JOHN of God care facility<br />
resident Mike L.A hopes a new<br />
waterslide will take him all the<br />
way to Los Angeles.<br />
Mr L.A, which is his real<br />
name, is excited about the 80m<br />
waterslide at the Halswell care<br />
home, where he resides.<br />
He changed his surname<br />
from Bruce to L.A by deed<br />
poll two years ago due to his<br />
love for the United States city,<br />
where he has been five times.<br />
The waterslide was inspired<br />
by St John of God’s smaller<br />
20m waterslide last summer,<br />
which was only open for<br />
residents.<br />
“I went airborne last time.<br />
This time it might take me to<br />
LAX [airport],” Mr L.A said.<br />
But he said his backside may<br />
be a bit sore once he lands.<br />
St John of God is a care<br />
facility for people with<br />
physical and neurological<br />
disabilities.<br />
Mr L.A moved into the<br />
facility after suffering a heart<br />
attack, which left him with<br />
physical disabilities.<br />
St John of God Trust<br />
acting national manager for<br />
fundraising and marketing<br />
Nigel Matthews is aiming<br />
SLIDING: St John of God resident Mike L.A on the site for<br />
the waterslide with St John of God acting national manager<br />
for fundraising and marketing Nigel Matthews.<br />
to open the waterslide by<br />
Christmas.<br />
The project started in July<br />
and will cost about $9000,<br />
which will all be covered by<br />
donations.<br />
St John of God plans to<br />
invite schools in the area to<br />
use the slide.<br />
“Being able to invite them<br />
in gives the benefit to not only<br />
the community but also to our<br />
residents to see the fun that<br />
others are having with it.<br />
“Then we’ll also have our<br />
own opportunity to be able to<br />
put residents on the slide and<br />
let them experience things you<br />
and I take for granted,” Mr<br />
Matthews said.<br />
St John of God also wants<br />
other disability care providers<br />
to utilise the waterslide for<br />
events or fundraisers.<br />
Construction company<br />
HEB donated digger services<br />
to carve soil out for the<br />
slide.<br />
“So it’s created a downhill<br />
ramp which we we’re going<br />
to continue on to an 80m<br />
slide out the back of our care<br />
facility.<br />
“We’re currently talking to<br />
Fulton Hogan to help us with<br />
the safety netting to make sure<br />
there’s a non-slip walkway<br />
to the top of the ramp,” Mr<br />
Matthews said.<br />
The slide itself would either<br />
be made from black polythene<br />
or a purpose-built inflatable<br />
slide.<br />
“It [inflatable slide] would<br />
be the ideal end goal as it will<br />
allow us to be able to install it<br />
quickly.”<br />
The trust is yet to decide<br />
what material the slide will<br />
be made from, but that is<br />
not what’s important, Mr<br />
Matthews said.<br />
“We want to make sure the<br />
community can come in and<br />
interact with residents.”<br />
The waterslide won’t be<br />
permanent, but St John of God<br />
is yet to decide how long it will<br />
run for.<br />
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