H145 photo shoot, Wednesday, June 19, 2019 Place: Calgary, Alberta Photographer: Lyle Aspinall Original: _MG_0175.jpg

With only half of their funding stemming from the provincial government, fundraising campaigns are crucial to the operational success of the STARS Air Ambulance.

Vice President of Operations Jeri-Lynn Johnston says STARS’ most recent fundraiser, the 2026 calendar campaign, launched last week.

“Are calendar really tells a new story each and every year, and this year’s issue is a celebration of community that reflets our innovation and resilience in our 40 years of operation.”

Johnston says about 40 thousand calendars are sold each year, and the money raised is used to ensure STARS’ services are accessible 24/7 365.

“On average, across Western Canada, STARS flies about 11 missions per day, and we’ve flown over 63,000 missions since 1985,” she explains.

The 2026 calendars can be purchased at stars calendar dot ca or at any Bunge grain elevator, as Bunge, formerly Viterra, has been a print sponsor for the last 11 years.