Kindersley local and business owner, jumped aboard the STARS Air Ambulance yesterday for the Rescue on the Prairies campaign.

Garth MacDonald, president and CEO for G-Mac in Kindersley, joined four other participants and STARS first-responders for a day filled with contests and perhaps most importantly, to raise money for the emergency service that is vital to the west central region.

MacDonald participated in the event two years ago in 2016 and far surpassed the monetary goal set by STARS of $50,000 by $101,000 raising a total of $151,000. In a previous interview, he said his goal this time around was to dig even deeper and beat his 2016 total.

MacDonald was impressively successful with his fundraising efforts, leaving his previous total in the dust, raising $200,300 for STARS.

The staggering donation was made possible by individual and corporate contributors alike said MacDonald, and spoke about the appreciation that people in the region have for STARS and were more than happy to help.

Besides the futile fundraising he did during the day, MacDonald also participated in contests that mimic various situations and circumstances related to those of a STARS first-responder. Among the competitions was a simulation of a child-birth, where MacDonald and the other participants all had their own roles, from administering the injection to cutting the umbilical cord.

“Although you know they are dummies and not real, you still feel the nerves building as you go through the different circumstances. I can’t even imagine what it is like for the men and women that perform these procedures in real situations,” said MacDonald.

One thing is for sure, MacDonald’s support and admiration for the entire STARS program. He said how necessary and important their services are especially for Saskatchewan and said he will continue to support them and all they do.

The total raised for the day was just over $500,000, MacDonald topped the charts for most raised, followed by the other participants raising between $62,000 and $97,000.