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More adult players are now investing in the protective equipment.
STARS Air Ambulance received a substantial donation from Conexus Credit Union on Friday.
The $500,000 donation will go towards replacing the ageing STARS fleet.
“This kind of donation is massive, $500,000 to us is incredible,” said Andrea Robertson, president and CEO of STARS. “Each helicopter is worth $13 million dollars each, every donation helps. These helicopters are generational investments, we intend to fly them for decades to come.”
STARS has been flying from Saskatoon since October 2019.
In June 2018, STARS unveiled a multi-year plan to replace its fleet.
Nine new helicopters are required to replace STARS’ fleet, at a cost of $13 million each.
STARS anticipates it will have the remainder of the new fleet sometime in 2021.
STARS Air ambulance. (Logan Stein/650 CKOM)
Eric Dillon, CEO of Conexus, spoke highly about the partnership between the credit union and STARS.
“These are very sophisticated machines that cost a lot of money. If you need help, there is world-class equipment here that can help you,” Dillon said. “We have been a supporter of STARS since 2012, I think this is exciting for Saskatchewan. You shouldn’t have to worry about getting help.”
STARS impact on people throughout Saskatchewan is immeasurable.
That’s according to Chad Rogers, who was severely injured in a farming accident in 2014.
“I owe my life to STARS,” Rogers said. “The outcome of my accident would have been a lot different if it wasn’t for STARS.”
“After you’re on it, you pay a lot more attention. You have a lot more appreciation for the service.”