New this year, Ag in Motion™ partners with STARS Air Ambulance, Morris Industries, Bayer Crop Science and dozens of other companies to bring you Field of STA RS, a fundraising event for this service that is so vital to the agriculture industry. Field of STARS, presented by Bayer, will takeplace on Tuesday, July 17 at the Ag in Motion show site.
The event will feature a steak dinner, a presentation by a STARS Very Important Patient, and entertainment by well-known Juno and CCMA award-winning recording artist Brett Kissel, plus both live and silent auctions. All proceeds will go to STARS. The country-style gala will take place in a field, under Saskatchewan’s beautiful living skies.
The idea for the fundraiser came to Ben Voss, president and CEO of Morris Industries, and a member of STARS’ volunteer board of directors, when he attended a gala fundraiser in Calgary that had been put on by the petroleum industry for decades. He reasoned that the agriculture industry should show its support of the charitable air ambulance organization in a similar way.
“STARS is a life-saving service that all farmers in the Prairies rely on to be there for them should they ever need it,” said Voss, chair of the Field of STARS organizing committee. “We wanted to bring our industry together to raise money for STARS, so it can continue to be our lifeline in a medical emergency.” In addition to providing a unique outdoor venue, Ag in Motion has a special ability to form strong partnerships between companies within the agriculture industry. “Field of STARS is a great way to raise money for STARS, so it was an easy decision to come on board as the host sponsor of this event,” says Rob O’Connor, Show Director of Ag in Motion. “Our venue becomes ‘home’ to hundreds of agricultural companies and a destination for tens of thousands of farmers each year for Ag in Motion. We’re in a unique position to facilitate partnerships that lead to initiatives like this event.” In addition to Frontier Partner, Morris Industries and Host PartnerAg in Motion, Bayer Crop Sciences signed up right away as the Presenting Sponsor.
“STARS was built by the community for the community, and we’re incredibly grateful to our partners in agriculture for initiating and supporting this impressive event,” said Kim Kroll-Goodwin, manager of events for STARS in Saskatchewan. “We are thrilled to have this unique opportunity to connect with an industry we serve, while raising vital dollars to keep our helicopters in the sky.”
The provincial government provides approximately 50 per cent of the funds needed to operate STARS in Saskatchewan. The remaining $10.5 million is raised annually by the STARS Foundation through individual, community and corporate donations as well as fundraisers and the STARS lottery. More information, tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be found at fieldofstars.ca
