STARS Rescue events raise more than $1.3 million for critical care

This September, 14 business and community leaders donned flight suits to be airlifted by STARS to remote locations with the goal of raising $50,000 each to earn their flights back to civilization. Incredibly, they jointly raised more than $1.3 million.

This was all part of three distinct fundraisers: Rescue on the Prairie (Saskatchewan), Rescue on the River (Manitoba), and Rescue in the Rockies (Alberta). These exciting one-day events put community leaders to the test to see if they had what it took to navigate the complexities of a STARS mission while also networking to raise critical funds to directly support operations in all three provinces.

“Our Rescue events are incredibly special because they are so much more than just fundraisers,” said Dr. John Froh, chief medical officer, STARS. “These events show our community allies exactly what it takes to be successful on any STARS mission, like staying calm under pressure, teamwork, and being able to think quickly and take on new challenges.”

Each Rescue included readiness challenges that saw participants race to suit up and buckle into a helicopter, aviation challenges that showed them how to prepare like a pilot, and simulated medical challenges that demonstrated some of the life-saving skills that STARS air medical crews use every day.

“It was absolutely eye-opening to see just a small part of how the STARS team does its work,” said Rescue on the River participant Peggy Talbot of K&P Talbot Community Fund. “Their competence is so reassuring, especially thinking of family members and friends who could need STARS one day. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to raise greater awareness for STARS and contribute to such a dynamic cause.”

Each Rescue event featured a fundraising challenge that tasked participants with raising as much money as possible in one hour. They called friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, and anyone else they could think of to.

Their $1.3 million fundraising total reflected the community support that has bolstered STARS from the very beginning.

“Our founder, Dr. Greg Powell, often shares stories of the early days when we started in 1985, and he would go to the mailbox and hope there were enough donations to cover helicopter fuel that week,” said Katherine Emberly, STARS president and CEO. “To see how far we’ve come as an organization in nearly 40 years, to have these amazing community leaders rally behind our mission and help raise more than $1 million in support of critical care, anywhere — it’s absolutely remarkable.

“We never want our teams to worry if they can go on that next mission or if we can purchase that life-saving piece of medical or safety equipment. It’s through the generosity of our community allies and our government partners that we can ensure we are always ready for the next call.”

STARS Rescue events will return in 2025. Full details will be released when ready.