You Make Critical Care Possible, Anywhere

Your purchase of the STARS Calendar contributes to our ability to provide critical care to patients who need us in a worst-case scenario. Every dollar is returned to our critical care operations, whether in the air, on the ground, or virtually.

Stories of our Legacy of Care

To celebrate this commemorative edition of the STARS Calendar, we reflect on 40 years of transformative journeys of our VIPs and the dedication of our crew members and employees who made it possible.

Kelly Waldron

Kelly Waldron is STARS’ first patient. At the time, she was a premature baby who needed critical care beyond the capabilities of the rural hospital where she was born.

Young boy in a black and yellow hockey jersey, holding a hockey stick and standing on an ice rink with a goal net in the background; STARS Very Important Patient Beckham Koscielny.

Beckham Koscielny

When Beckham Koscielny was only six weeks old, he became a STARS Very Important Patient after falling seriously ill due to a heart condition. With the aid of STARS’ critical care team, he was transported from his rural community to a major hospital.

Owen Ashworth

Since 2013, STARS has been called into Owen’s life twice. The first time was just before he started his final year of high school when he suffered a brain injury in a motorbike accident. The second time was in 2021 when he sustained another brain injury in a collision with a semi-truck.

Girl with glasses, wearing a floral dress, standing indoors by a window, holding Starbear and smiling; STARS Very Important Patient Brynleigh Yewsuk.

Brynleigh Yewsuk

When she was only three years old, Brynleigh suffered severe head trauma after a piece of farm equipment fell on her. The STARS crew cared for her en route to a major hospital, where she received the life-saving treatment she needed.

Shalyn Huehn

In 2011, Shalyn’s life was forever changed by a head-on collision. Her car was so severely damaged that it took two hours for her to be freed from the wreckage. Today, Shalyn lives an active lifestyle with her family.

Young man wearing a long-sleeve shirt, standing against a gray background, holding a baseball glove in his right hand; STARS Very Important Patient Zach MacDonald.

Zach MacDonald

In November 2010, Zach MacDonald fell critically ill just after his second birthday. What began as a fever quickly escalated to a life-threatening condition, requiring rapid transport by STARS. Diagnosed with a serious infection, Zach spent seven days in intensive care.

Maureen Schnirer

After a rural motor vehicle incident left Maureen Schnirer critically injured, STARS transported her to an urban centre for life-saving surgery. She has fully recovered, married her longtime partner Ken, and built a life on a ranch, raising two kids.

Ken King

After STARS launched, flight paramedic Ken King helped organize volunteer paramedics to join STARS crews during their free time. As the organization expanded, Ken was a leader in the development of the STARS Emergency Link Centre (ELC).

Woman wearing glasses and a gray hoodie, standing indoors by a railing in a sunlit hallway with large windows; STARS Very Important Patient Marie Somerville.

Marie Somerville

Marie Somerville was an aspiring barrel racer, spending countless hours practising and competing. One day when practising for competition, her horse fell, leading her to severe whiplash and trauma to her brainstem and spinal cord. STARS was dispatched to provide critical care and take her to the nearest major hospital.

Mike Lamacchia

Mike Lamacchia joined STARS in 1992 as a flight paramedic. Over 20 years, he completed 500 missions, developed an innovative human patient simulator program and has since become STARS’ Chief Operating Officer, Provincial Operations, overseeing operations across the organization.

Ryan Herchuk

At 12, Ryan Herchuk was hit by a vehicle while riding an all-terrain vehicle. By chance, an off-duty STARS flight paramedic came upon the accident scene. STARS transported Ryan to the University of Alberta Hospital, where he recovered after being in a coma for two months.

Esther Stern

At the time of her accident, Esther Stern was 36 weeks pregnant with her daughter Kaycee. As she came to, Esther’s water broke and she and baby Kaycee were in critical need of medical attention.

Celebrating 10 years of working together

Viterra and STARS

At Viterra, we’re proud of our partnership with STARS and the positive impact it’s had on patients and their families across Western Canada, including our employees and customers. As print sponsor of this calendar for the last ten years, we’ve supported VIPs in sharing their stories and provided over $2.5 million for STARS to help them continue their critical, life-saving work in our rural communities.

Learn More

STARS crew stand with firefighters and a Viterra executive in front of a STARS helicopter on a visit to a Viterra facility.

Calendar Sales

The 2025 STARS calendar marks the 33rd year for the fundraising program. Your calendar purchase makes it possible for us to continue learning, growing, and innovating to ensure we can be there for the next patient, for more communities, and for remote medical professionals wherever they are and in whatever way they need us.

You make it possible for us to save lives, every day.

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40 Years of Stars

2025 Calendar