HALO Air Ambulance is “over the moon” after raising $43,500 at its inaugural “Flight Up the Night” fundraising event in the Lethbridge area.
CEO Paul Carolan says the sold-out event, which was held in March just outside of Monarch, exceeded expectations. “You start something like this and hope for the best.
“We are so grateful. We are not quite as well-known in the Lethbridge area and the support we got, the people that turned out and provided auction items, donations and sponsorships – everything was amazing. We are absolutely thrilled with the outcome.”
HALO Air Ambulance, Carolan adds, has always been proud a significant portion of every dollar raised goes towards running the helicopter and to serve the community. “Over 90 per cent of what we raise will go to help with helicopter operations and making sure we can still ‘flight for your life’ right across southern Alberta.”
“That’s where it will go and it makes a big difference. It’s a new initiative for us, so having a signature event in the Lethbridge area will be a big part of us moving forward, as far as the program is concerned,” notes Carolan.
According to Carolan, the fundraiser was an opportunity for some in attendance to learn about HALO for the very first time, while former patients shared their personal stories about being flown by HALO.
Carolan says the fundraiser was also a chance for the organization to explain its “why.” “Not only why Lethbridge, but what our why is and why we do what we do every day.”
“It was a good opportunity to have another group of people intimately understand why this program is so important and why it makes such a difference in southern Alberta. Hopefully, we can continue to tell that story year after year. We’ve already booked a return event for next year. We’re looking forward to bringing it back for the second time.”