After two years of virtual fundraisers, the third in-person Field of STARS gala, presented by Nutrien and held July 19 in conjunction with the Ag in Motion outdoor farm show, was a success.

The casual country gala raised more than $300,000 to support STARS’ operations. When coupled with previous in-person and virtual events, Field of STARS has raised more than $1.7 million cumulatively since 2018 to help save the lives of patients in need.

“After two years apart, it was incredible to be able to welcome the agriculture community back to the field for such an amazing party, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with how it turned out,” said STARS president and CEO Andrea Robertson. “We are celebrating ten years since we arrived in Saskatchewan, and from the beginning, our rural supporters have been some of our greatest allies in the fight for life. Through fires and floods, bumper crops and droughts, and pandemics, you’ve stood by us.”

Over 1,200 people were on hand for the event, which took place in a field near Langham, Saskatchewan, at the Ag in Motion site. Along with a delicious brisket dinner, the evening included exciting live and silent auctions, tours of the STARS helicopter, virtual reality experiences and performances by Juno and CCMA award-winning recording artist Jess Moskaluke and Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Major.

A highlight of the evening was a moving video and remarks by Very Important Patient Draedon Faubert and his father Chris. Draedon was critically injured in May 2020, with a lengthy recovery during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown that included 40 days of quarantine with his mother Stacey in the ICU while his father and family waited outside.

“We are all fortunate to live in a country and province that has tremendous resources and professionals in the health care community. But at the end of the day, if STARS wasn’t around, Draedon wouldn’t have made it to the hospital alive, and we would never have known how amazing [those professionals and resources] all were,” said Chris Faubert.

“It takes a tremendous amount of funding to get STARS off the ground, and there is no STARS if there aren’t STARS allies,” Faubert told the event supporters. “So our family thanks you all from the bottom of our hearts.”

Draedon summed it up best when addressing the crowd: “Thank you for saving my life.”

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 STARS LOTTERY.