The 13th international cricket festival sold out for the first time when it was held in Queenstown and other southern venues last March.
Sponsored by organisations including Air New Zealand, Skyline Enterprises, Sky City Alpine Casino, Lion Breweries, Shotover Jet, Millbrook Resort and the Otago Daily Times, the event attracted 902 participants across 58 teams and from seven countries, plus thousands of spectators who stayed for the eight-day occasion.
The two-yearly festival made a profit and donated $10,000 to St John and $20,000 to the cricket association.
Festival director John Petre, of Queenstown, said the committee wanted to show its appreciation to St John in a tangible way.
The sum of $10,000 would pay for five new lightweight, collapsible "scoop stretchers" for use in ambulances across the South and added to a previous donation of $1500 from the festival.
"St John was outstanding in their contribution during the festival," Mr Petre said.
"Their efforts went beyond the call of duty on one day in Invercargill, when the local ambulance driver fielded magnificently, after one of the teams arrived short of numbers."
St John southern region general manager Gary Williams said the donation, "eases pressure on our regional finances to ensure we have the latest equipment in our 56 ambulances across Otago-Southland."
The other beneficiary, the member clubs of the Otago Country Cricket Association, were praised by Mr Petre for giving visiting teams a warm welcome.
