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STARS is on a mission, and it’s kicking off its 12th annual lottery this month.
Terri Strunk, the chief fundraising and brand officer with STARS, said the “lottery on a mission” has been operational as long as STARS has been in Saskatchewan, and is the organization’s biggest fundraiser for the province.
Strunk said every dollar raised will fund its 24/7 operations for the province.
“This lottery is life-saving, let’s put it that way, because every dollar that we earn from the lottery, every ticket purchased, actually goes to support every mission we fly,” Strunk said.
Last year, STARS flew more than 1,000 missions in the province.
“Think about those patients, and their friends, and their family, and the community that they live in,” Strunk said.
Emma Mollenbeck (at podium) and Dawson Mollenbeck (in hoodie) at the launch of the 2023 STARS lottery. (Halyna Mihalik/650 CKOM)
One of those patients helped by STARS was Dawson Mollenbeck, who was involved in a workplace accident three years ago. He sustained multiple severe injuries such as skull fractures and brain bleeds, his wife Emma explained on Wednesday.
“Without STARS he probably wouldn’t be standing here today, or his arm would not be on his body,” she said.
A STARS air ambulance picked up Mollenbeck in rural Saskatchewan, and the crew made sure he was stabilized while he was taken to hospital in Saskatoon.
According to STARS, what would’ve been a 90-minute commute was just a 15-minute flight.
“Fundamentally, we believe that where you live, where you work, where you play, or where you travel to, it should not impact your chance of survival should something happen,” Strunk said.
This year, there are more than 1,600 prizes worth about $3.4 million, including two grand-prize showhomes — one in the Brighton community in Saskatoon and one in the Spruce Creek area near Regina.
Additional prizes include a $100,000 travel voucher, and an early bird prize that features an RV, a Saskatchewan Parks gift card, gas gift cards and a cash prize.
Strunk said there are about 150,000 ticket-buyers who regularly contribute to the lottery, adding that main lottery tickets start at $60.
More information can be found on the STARS lottery website.