MELFORT — For their contributions to making a new heliport at the Melfort Hospital a reality, donors had their names enshrined on a wall inside the Wellness Centre.
The most prominent name on that wall, unveiled at a ceremony Feb. 10, is Redhead Equipment, who donated $100,000 at the beginning of the campaign to raise funds for the project.
Scott Vanderlinde, Redhead Equipment agriculture sales manager for Melfort, said that being acknowledged as the “mission lead pilot” on the wall is a fitting tribute to Redhead Equipment owner Gary Redhead, who’s donated upwards of $3 million to STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) since 2012.
“You look at the rural communities and how many lives it’ll save, we just don’t know how many people that will touch,” he said.
Vanderlinde said Redhead wants to continue the partnership with STARS, as it touches the whole province.
“We’re putting money in for this project here in Melfort but it's many others that have been [helped] throughout the province.”
It was Rod Gantefoer, the chair of the Municipal Health Advocacy Fundraising Committee, that first approached Redhead. He said there was no hesitation.
“I felt that he would be looking for some way of supporting the whole area,” Gantefoer said. “That's just exactly what happened. He definitely stepped up.
In total, the fundraising effort raised $750,000 – exceeding the fundraising goal by around $100,000. Gantefoer said that extra money will be turned over to the North Central Health Care Foundation to further their work of improving healthcare in the Melfort district.
Among the other major donors to the project were George Sterner, the HumboldtStrong Community Foundation, Husky Energy and Thomas R. Smith, who contributed $50,000+ each; as well as MNP and CN Saskatchewan Community Foundation, who contributed $25,000+ each.
Gantefoer said the unveiling of the donor wall puts a capstone to the project.
“It's a testimony to the community and the whole district that they supported this, perceived value in it.”
Cindy Seidl, provincial director of operation for STARS Saskatchewan, said she couldn’t say thank you enough.
“The time and the difference that this will make to the care that we can provide to the citizens in this community and surrounding community is unbelievable,” she said.
“To be able to land here, take our stretcher and our equipment straight to the bedside of the patient and then package them up and bring them right up to the helicopter that’s running, it saves 30 minutes of time, so it's pretty amazing.”
So far, there’s only been one STARS mission to Melfort since the heliport was certified to start operation in late November. Seidl said with the volumes they’ve seen in Melfort in the past, they’re expecting more.
The Municipal Health Advocacy Committee first approached Melfort council about building a heliport at the hospital in March 2018. Council agreed – as long as the Saskatchewan Health Authority also supported the project. By October 2018, a business case was completed and sent to the health minister.
On Jan. 15, 2020, the committee, having secured $468,000, kicked off a community fundraising effort. Ground broke on the project in the end of July.
“In true Saskatchewan style, there's something that needs to be done and everybody just pulls together and gets it done,” Seidl said about the effort to make the heliport possible.
