This year marks the 24th annual STARS Lottery.
For the last 23 years, tickets for the lottery – which raises money for the air ambulance service – have completely sold out. Organizers hope they will sell out this year too. The lottery is STARS’ biggest fundraiser every year, bringing in about $11 million annually.
“It’s incredible the support we get from Albertans as a whole,” STARS’ Dave Evans said. “Albertans dig deep, they recognize this as an essential service for (us).”
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Alexandra Powell knows just how essential the service is. Eight years ago, she was in a car that rolled on a rural road in Priddis, about 40 kilometres southeast of Calgary. She was ejected from the back window.
“I landed in a snowbank and when emergency responders found me, I was unconscious and they had called for STARS,” Powell said. “When STARS had found me, they had gotten me to the hospital in such an amazing and timely fashion, (it allowed) for me to be standing here today.”
STARS Air Ambulance responds to about 1,800 calls ever year. In 2016, they responded to 74 calls in Lethbridge alone and 80 in Red Deer. It’s these numbers that the service says makes support from the public essential.
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This year’s lottery offers four grand prize luxury homes in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge. All combined, they’re worth over $3.5 million. There are 76-thousand tickets available for the Lucky Stars 50/50 jackpot and other prizes ranging from trucks to cash.
People can buy tickets right now and be entered into the early bird draw at the beginning of March. The last day to buy tickets is March 22 and the final draw date is April 23.
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