Lampman’s Ron Carson raised a lot of money for the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society's (STARS) Air Ambulance program through his participation in the STARS Rescue on the Prairies fundraiser last week.
Carson, who founded Carson Energy Services, raised approximately $217,000 for STARS, which amounted to more than half of the $425,000 total. Carson and four other community leaders were flown from STARS' Saskatoon base to a remote area near Dundurn on Thursday. Each person had to raise $50,000 for STARS before they could return to Saskatoon.
Participants were encouraged to raise money before Thursday, and Carson was very successful, as he had $109,000 the night before the event began. There was a fundraiser at the Estevan Shoppers Mall a week before Rescue on the Prairies, and other events in Carlyle, Lampman, White City, Lloydminster and Virden, Manitoba.
Employees of AECOM, which is the parent company for Carson Energy Services, raised $40,000 for Carson’s efforts.
“I think everybody who contributed can honestly and truthfully feel they were a part of it,” Carson said.
On the day of the fundraiser, Carson and the other participants called friends and business contacts for money. They also participated in a number of challenges that helped them gain a greater understanding of STARS’ employees training.
The first challenge tasked participants with donning their flight suits and equipment, and making their way to the helicopter. They also had to complete a number of tasks to provide medical treatment, and they had to use clues to find a medical supplies bag in the woods.
The participant who completed each challenge in the shortest amount of time was the winner, and received a credit towards the money they had to raise.
Joining Carson in the fundraiser were: Saskatoon entrepreneurs David Dube and Bev Dubois; Moose Jaw businessman Dean Lang; and former Saskatchewan Roughrider Mike McCullough, who now works for Investors Group.
“They were just down to earth individuals,” said Carson. “Everybody got along and everybody got to know each other. They were working as a group, and that was one of the things that was talked about.”
This year marked the first time that STARS has hosted a Rescue on the Prairies event in Saskatchewan. It has been held previously in Alberta and Manitoba.
Watch this week’s edition of Lifestyles for more on this story.
