INNISFAIL -- The local legion has once again stepped up huge for STARS.
On Jan. 24, several members from Branch 104 went to Calgary and gave a $9,000 cheque to STARS, the non-profit helicopter air ambulance organization that began service in1985 and is funded by individual donors, service groups, corporate donors and government contributions.
"It's a really good size donation," said Joan Millier, president of the local branch who was in Calgary on Jan. 24.
Innisfail Branch 104 is Alberta's largest legion donor to STARS, with $255,596.99 given from 1985 to 2018. That figure from the local branch, which is Canada's third largest in membership, compares to the total $1.84 million over the same period that was donated by all legions in Western Canada.
Miller said the annual donation to STARS is the single biggest one the local legion hands out.
"We donate a lot of other funds to various community groups and efforts, predominantly seniors and the youth in Innisfail, but our STARS donation is our largest single donation each year," said Miller, adding the funds for the STARS donation come from the local legion's 50/50 draws, with a significant amount left over to support other non-profit groups in town.
She said the support to STARS is important to the legion because it is "important to the whole community.
"Anybody who has ever had to make use of STARS is fully aware of the life-saving job that STARS does. It involves Innisfailians and the local area," said Miller. "Anybody in Innisfail knows that they quite frequently see the STARS ambulance landing beside the hospital. So you know that somebody who needs help is receiving that help and is taken to a larger facility for treatment."
Latest statistics from STARS show that 15 missions were flown directly from the Innisfail Health Centre from mid-2017 to mid-2018, and more than 90 from around the surrounding area, including Bowden, Red Deer, Penhold and Sylvan Lake. Most patients were transferred to Calgary but a few were flown to Edmonton.
In the meantime, STARS is fundraising for a multi-year project to replace its aging fleet of 11 BK117 and AW139 helicopters with nine new Airbus H145 medically equipped aircraft. The projected cost for each new aircraft is about $13 million.
The non-profit agency is hoping to replace its fleet of helicopters in Alberta by 2024, with the first arriving later this year.
