Chris Clegg
South Peace News

A long-time supporter of STARS since 2008 is being asked to support the organization again.
Glenda Farnden, foundation administrator for STARS, attended Northern Sunrise County’s meeting Dec. 14 asking for an annual $5,000 commitment from council for 2022-25.
Council’s previous pledge of $2 per capita expired in 2021.
Farnden and STARS pilot Jon Gogan attended the meeting by Zoom to inform and update council on operations. Farnden first told council they were about $5 million short in their 2022 campaign.
She added STARS has to think “outside the box” in regard to fundraising due to COVID. For example, the STARS calendar had decreased revenue because of the inability to travel and promote. Therefore, they are stressing more municipal partnerships with calendars on sale at town offices in Alberta.
There is also a change to holding online events for the foreseeable future including online 50/50 raffles and raffles, plus multi-provincial radio- thons.
“Eighty per cent of our funds must be fundraised,” Farnden told council.
She also updated council on life-saving missions flown in Northern Sunrise County. Over a five-year period from 2017-21, 59 missions were flown from a high of 19 in 2019 to a low of eight in 2020.
“That is $140,000 in service value [each year] to Northern Sunrise residents,” Farnden told council.
Council promised to advise Farnden of their decision.