STARS Air Ambulance is visiting counties across the Province, requesting funding to help them with next years missions.

Currently over 3 quarters of Alberta's municipalities support STARS, working out to 1.6 million dollars annually.

Yesterday afternoon STARS asked Lacombe County Council to consider a donation of 2 dollars per capita, or 20 thousand dollars annually.

Municipal Relations Liason Glenda Farnden says when it comes to medical emergencies, often it's not top of mind, unless you or a family member has needed help "everyone's been guilty of that, out of site, out of mind.  But STARS works directly with Emergency Protective Services and so we're just asking municipalities on a per capita basis if they would also recognize the work that STARS does and is involved with their Emergency Protective Services to save lives for their residents".

Farnden says the majority of donations they receive from individual donors, comes from people who have had to use the service, and are paying it forward.

STARS is averaging about 11 missions to Lacombe County a year, almost one a month.

More than half are for medical emergencies, 20% as a result of motor vehicle collisions, 15% of calls to Lacombe County are trauma related, another 10% as a result of recreational accidents.

When looking at Central Alberta Counties as a whole, STARS averages about 200 missions a year, landing in Central Alberta 3-4 times a week.

Farnden says "STARS is a great asset for rural residents, but at the same time it's also important to remember we don't just stay in our close little home sector, we travel, we go on holidays, we're going to hockey games, we're on the highway.  You have the opportunity to maybe have a heart attack or stroke, so it's really important to remember that it's all Albertans that can be affected".