Birch Hills County reaches historic $500,000 contribution milestone with STARS

Calgary, June 20, 2024 – Tomorrow, STARS and Birch Hills County will celebrate a significant milestone alongside members of the Eaglesham Agricultural Society for the biennial Eaglesham School Adventure Race. To mark the 17-year partnership, and for reaching a historic $500,000 contribution milestone, STARS will unveil Birch Hills County’s logo on one of its H145 helicopters — symbolizing the municipality’s contributions during every mission where a STARS’ critical care crew is called in.

“The ongoing generosity of Birch Hills County is a testament to the entire community’s commitment to the wellbeing of their friends and neighbours. Every dollar they provided counts towards another mission flown, another innovation trialed, and a new team member trained,” said Katherine Emberly, STARS President and CEO. “Now, every person who looks at our helicopters will be reminded that every community can have a major impact.”

Birch Hills County is in the middle of a four-year pledge through 2025 to support STARS critical care operations in the region. Their ongoing commitment helps STARS rapidly deliver critical care to rural Albertans when they need it most.

Albert Poetker, Reeve of Birch Hills County said, “STARS services are irreplaceable for Birch Hills County as there are no hospitals within the county borders, making STARS a critical lifeline for our rural residents.”

Since 2019, STARS has carried out 16 critical scene missions within Birch Hills County, including eight near Wanham, three near Watino, and three near Eaglesham. In the last year STARS carried out 3,733 missions, including 1,633 in Alberta.

Any interested media should arrive at Eaglesham Ag Society Fairgrounds by 11:00 am.

For more information contact:
Natalie Hofstetter, Regional Communications Team Lead, STARS | mediainfo@stars.ca | 1-306-580-7207

About STARS
STARS was born from the conviction that no one should go without the care that could save their life. Operating 24/7 from bases in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg, STARS is your best hope in a worst-case scenario. If you need critical care, our mission is to be there for you—physically or virtually—in whatever capacity we can help. Because when it comes to the next patient who needs us, it’s never too far. Learn more at stars.ca