A Manitoba company has reaffirmed its commitment to the well-being of their fellow residents with a donation to STARS air ambulance.
Border Chemical recently presented STARS with a donation of $15,000, marking the second straight year the fertilizer and chemical supplier has supported the organization. The company made a $10,000 donation in 2017.
“We recognize the continuing importance of safety and rescue efforts for our rural customers and other Manitobans who find themselves in dire need of emergency medical care while in areas remote from necessary lifesaving services,” said Border Chemical president Trish Smerchanski.
Operating out of their base in Winnipeg, STARS provides care to critically ill and injured Manitobans. STARS has two pilots, a nurse experienced in emergency/ICU care and an advanced care paramedic with critical care training on standby 24 hours a day to provide care and rapid transport from rural health centres or directly from the scene of emergencies. An emergency transport physician also provides oversight for every call and flies on roughly 10 per cent of STARS missions. Reponses to the scene of an emergency typically involve landing on highways, remote areas, rural residences, and industry work sites.
“We are fortunate in having access to an outstanding program with such highly-talented and capable staff who are saving lives daily.” – Trish Smerchanski
Since arriving in Manitoba in 2011, STARS has carried out thousands of missions to over 175 communities. In their 2017-18 fiscal year (April 1 to March 31), STARS’ flew 720 missions in the province, making it the busiest of the non-profit organization’s six bases.
“With over 700 missions in their last fiscal year, it’s clear that the services STARS provides remain as needed as ever,” said Smerchanski, whose company serves clients throughout Manitoba. “We are proud to continue our support of this vital organization.”
Along with the base in Winnipeg, STARS also operates out of Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie. Since its formation in 1985 the organization has flown over 40,000 missions.
| Article submitted to News 4 by STARS
