STARS

When people think of STARS the first thing that comes to mind are those with celebrity status such as Keith Urban, Tom Cruise, or Paris Hilton to name a few. Over the past few years I’ve had the privilege of placing a new meaning on the word STARS, one of hope, strength, and bravery.

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STARS in Canada stands for Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society. It’s a Canadian non-profit air ambulance organization funded by individual donors, service groups, corporate donors, and government contributions. STARS provides rapid and specialized emergency care and transportation for critically ill and injured patients.

As a music artist I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to perform at multiple STARS fundraising events. Every event reaffirms how important it is to have the STARS organization in our country saving the lives of so many people every year.

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At a recent fundraising event I was a part of, here was a lady speaking at the event who, had suffered a brain aneurysm on a stormy Canadian winter day and without the assistance of STARS would not have been at the event that night to tell her story. We took the stage that night and the crowd began to sing along, I was mid song when I saw a little girl dancing. I was singing Leonard Cohen's version of Hallelujah an asked her if she’d like to sing it with me. She didn’t hesitate at all and before you knew it she was on stage ready to sing with me. This young girl's name was Brynleigh and I found out later that night that she to was a VIP (Very important patient) rescued by STARS. This special moment singing with her really touched my heart. These stories along with so many more like it, makes me so proud to have a small part in these fundraising event fo STARS.