As well, each participant will be trying to collect $50,000 in donations for the organization, which relies on this type of fundraising. They will be doing this while on their desolate, but hopefully, temporary place.
“I’ll be calling people to ‘get me off this island.’ I’m an optimist. I know it’s a big goal, but it is also a big challenge.”
Ayre will be joined by Jeff Vassart, president of Cargill, Denys Volkov, the executive director of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, and 2014 Olympic Gold Medalist Jill Officer. Each will be calling on their communities and friends to help them “earn” a return trip from the island.
Ayre said he has already started his fundraising, not wanting to leave his future totally to one day, and has more than $1,100 already. He is talking to local businesses and individuals and is looking to have patches from his sponsors on his jumpsuit.
The STARS air ambulances pick up patients like accident victims from remote locations or rural hospitals and transport them to specialty health services in Winnipeg. Almost every community has had people transported to the big hospitals on the large STARS ambulances. While fundraising, Ayre said he heard from people in Boissevain who had been on the life-saving flights, and an ambulance once landed on their family land. He knows how important they are in rural communities.
“I’m excited to be involved,” he said. “I just hope people here understand the good work STARS do and how important they are to several rural Manitoba communities.”
Anyone wanting to donate to Ayre can do so online through the STARS website (support.stars.ca).

by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff