STARS missions fly to provide timely critical care to patients across Saskatchewan and reached the milestone of their 10,000th flight in Saskatchewan last year. 

Today and Wednesday, the Saskatchewan Critical Care on the Air Radiothon for STARS is broadcasting on Golden West stations across Saskatchewan, with the goal of raising $350,000. 

It costs approximately $20 million per year to operate the STARS bases out of Regina and Saskatoon, with 50 per cent of that coming from the Government of Saskatchewan, and the remaining 50 per cent being raised through donations.  

“It’s a critical funding model for us, because it allows our air medical crews to be very responsive to technology trends,” said Terri Strunk, chief fundraising and public affairs officer of STARS. 

“If we need something for the helicopter, for example, we can go ahead and purchase, because we’ve got donor support,” added Strunk.  

Funds donated to STARS are used to cover staff for missions – each flight has a flight paramedic, a flight nurse, and two pilots. Other costs include fuel, aircraft maintenance, and medical and aviation equipment.  

“You never know when something is going to happen, and the fact that we have STARS just a call away, it just makes a difference, honestly, between life and death, and offers a level of security in the delivery of timely critical care services that’s so important in a province like ours,” said Strunk.  

You can donate online or call the Viterra Lifeline at 1-877-50-STARS (1-877-507-8277).