STARS Lottery lifts off for 2021
ALBERTA, JAN. 14 – While they look different wearing protective masks and gowns to protect against the novel coronavirus, STARS crews continue to fly missions daily for Albertans in desperate need of medical care. The 28th edition of the STARS lottery, launching to the public today, helps make that possible while offering the chance to win 2,500 prizes, valued at over $4.8 million.
“From the beginning, STARS has been fueled by the community,” said STARS president and CEO, Andrea Robertson. “In Alberta, every year, STARS raises 80 per cent of the funding necessary to operate its three bases in the province from the private sector; that equates to $24 million. The lottery is a key component of this.”
The health-care system in Alberta is feeling the strain of COVID-19 and STARS has also been impacted. As the number of COVID-19 cases grows, STARS is seeing a surge of infected and suspected patients requiring urgent critical care and transport. In November 2020, at the outset of the second wave of the pandemic, slightly more than 18 per cent of all STARS missions across the Prairies were related to patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
“Thousands of critically ill and injured Albertans have been cared for and transported in our flying intensive care units, arriving at major trauma centres faster, increasing their chances of survival,” said Robertson. “An example of this was when our Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie bases all quickly responded to the tragic tour bus crash at the Columbia Icefield last year. When someone buys a STARS lottery ticket, they help ensure STARS is available for the next patient who needs us.”