Photo by Curtis Galbraith

By Curtis Galbraith

STARS

STARS Lottery underway

Jan 16, 2020 | 5:36 PM

Holiday packages, homes, cash and more are being given away in this year’s STARS Lottery.

Tickets are now available online for the 27th annual edition.

Glenda Farnden, senior municipal relations liaison with the Grande Prairie base, says this is the organization’s biggest fund-raiser and a sellout would generate around $11-million.

“It takes approximately $10-million per year, on average, to run a base in Alberta. We have three bases in Alberta, one in Grande Prairie, Edmonton, and Calgary. It’s important to remember that everyone that participates in the STARS lottery, (is) actually providing funds for one-third of the budget for each one of these bases in Alberta.”

Grande Prairie businessman Lionel Robbins is a STARS board member. He says it is a misconception that STARS gets all of its money from the government.

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“In fact, most of the funds that run STARS bases in Alberta come from fund-raising efforts and individual donations. We sometimes get the odd question of ‘Why do you need to sell lottery tickets, the government pays for you guys?’ and they don’t realize that. And, the people who get in the helicopter and get a ride have a pleasant surprise that they don’t have a bill afterwards.”

MD of Greenview Councillor Dale Gervais is on the air ambulance services Very Important Patients.

He says he was glad to have STARS available to take him to hospital in Edmonton after being treated at the Valleyview Health Centre for a heart attack in 2010.

“Absolutely. It worked out really good for me and I know it’s worked out really well for a lot of patients. As an MD, we’re a heavy supporter of STARS. Greenview is such a large municipality that they do fly, probably by far the majority of their missions are either on the highways running through the MD or in the oil and gas industry in the bush in the MD.”

Grande Prairie pilot Robin Helsdon describes working for the air ambulance service as “the pinnacle for pilots.”

“It took me two years of applying before I was even considered. I have over 13 years of flying experience. They’re really very selective with who they hire here. It helps to have a crewed background such as flying in (a) military environment where you always fly with a crew, meaning more than one pilot.”

Helsdon says STARS crews include two pilots, a paramedic, and a critical care nurse.

Tickets and more details on prizes, the early bird draw, and deadlines to buy tickets are available here.