Music Festival aims to keep STARS in sky

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Born out of the devastation of the catastrophic 2013 Alberta floods, the Southern Alberta Music Festival continues to gather momentum and once again raises money for a crucial emergency service – STARS Air Ambulance.
The two-day-long country, blues, and rock n’ roll event is growing exponentially in popularity and for the second year is donating its proceeds to the charitable, non-profit organization.
“Because we’re rural and if anything were to happen out here, STARS is so important to rural communities,” said Donna Biggar, manager for Aspen Crossing. “Since we had the flood the first year, we thought it just feels good to do it for a good cause, and to have the local artists working for the same kind of things that need donations in their own communities. STARS seems to fit all of southern Alberta, so that’s kind of why stars was picked.”
When organizers Jason Thornhill and Larry Vannatta launched the festival in 2013, proceeds were donated to High River the first year, and STARS the second year. Having already attracted 200 people in its infancy, crowds have continued to grow each year and numbers are expected to accumulate to 500 spectators this year.
Continuing to feature local southern Albertan artists such as Drew Gregory, Sykamore, and Lyndsay Butler, 23 musicians were selected from a line-up of 40 acts.
“That’s kind of the theme behind this whole thing, give everyone a chance to play,” said Vannatta, who will continue with tradition and perform this year. “I would think a lot of it has to do with the atmosphere of having fun and being friends. Nobody has a big head here. There are no stars but they’re all stars, because it’s all going to a good cause, which is STARS. A lot of people send in their stuff to us, and of course we can’t put in everybody.”
Dr. Greg Powell founded STARS Air Ambulance in 1985, known back then as the Lions Air Ambulance Service. Over the past three decades the service has expanded to include bases in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and flew 1,839 missions last year.
As the organization is non-profit and relies on donations – an average flight costing $5,400 with costs not being recouped by the patient – fundraisers, such as the Southern Alberta Music Festival, are crucial to their operations. Last year the event donated $6,000 to the organization.
“Events like this really do play a huge role in STARS in helping us with all of our training programs, with our emergency link centre, with the actual helicopters and in whatever capacity we can just being there for the next patient, it’s crucial in terms of helping us,” said Megan Thomson, manager of events for STARS.
“STARS started in Alberta with the intention to serve people either living or traveling in rural or remote areas in the province. The fact that we get support from the people who actually live in those areas, is unbelievable. We are here to serve the community, but we also wouldn’t be here without the support of the community.”
While most of the proceeds are being donated to STARS, Biggar said the festival is also important to the area, as the Arrowwood Agricultural Society, the Arrowwood 4-H club, and the Mossleigh Lions Club – who run the beer gardens – also benefit from the donations.
The Southern Alberta Music Festival will take place Aug. 21-21. Tickets are $80 for the whole weekend, $70 for Saturday only, or $25 for Friday only. Pasture camping is available for $45 for the weekend. For more information visit aspencrossing.com.