By Chantal Wagner

Community rallies to keep HALO Air Ambulance in flight with fundraisers

May 26, 2020 | 5:37 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Many charities, businesses, and families across southern Alberta have rallied together over the last half of the month to support HALO Air Ambulance.

HALO is asking the province for $250-thousand per month over the next six months to stay open.

There is no word yet on interim funding from the government.

However, MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat Drew Barnes was informed earlier this month that the program will not receive any provincial funds.

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President of Western Tractor Steven Dyck says they were talking about how they can work with the potato industry during this difficult time.

While also bringing awareness of why it’s important for consumers to support potato products right now which have been impacted by the shutdown of the food service sector.

“Especially in southern Alberta with three potato processing plants and acres of potatoes growing,” Dyck said.

Western Tractors teamed up with the Potato Growers Association and the fry company McCain jumped on board.

McCain donated 75-hundred bags of fries worth over $40-thousand.

Dyck says HALO was a charity in need of support right now so they brought all those groups together.

Families can pick up their two bags of free fries this Friday and make a donation if they like.

“This is commercial grade restaurant-quality french fries from McCain’s plant right here and grown here in southern Alberta.”

Pick-up is at Western Tractor locations in Medicine Hat from, Burdette, Taber, and Lethbridge.

Dyck says corporate donations are also being collected and will support HALO.

“We are also looking for corporate sponsorship to give away those fries and our goal is to get to $100-thousand and happy to report we’re over halfway so we raised $50-thousand as of this morning and most of that’s coming from companies here in southern Alberta.”

Meantime, the owner of The Bunkhouse located in Hanna, Alberta Nicole Viste created a Facebook group called HALO Fundraiser to collect donations.

With business being slow due to COVID-19 and closure of businesses, she wasn’t financially able to donate but she could donate product.

Now local small businesses across the region have donated their products and services for the cause.

Viste doesn’t know what bids are at yet but the value of everything donated is over $185-thousand in a matter of days.

And there are over 13-thousand people in the group with 720 donations.

Bids for the virtual fundraiser will close on June 18th.

“I just hope it really raises some awareness of the need for government funding and the need for HALO. I myself am not actually in the primary range they cover, I’m actually about 45 minutes outside of it but spend a lot of time in southeastern Alberta. Literally a life-saving venture we need to support,” Viste said.

The link to the HALO Fundraiser Facebook page is available by visiting this link.

More information on Western Tractor’s Free Fry Day and to donate is available by visiting this link.

Free fry day pick-up times on Friday, May 29 at Western Tractor locations start in Medicine Hat from 9 am-10 am, 11 am-noon in Burdette, 1 pm-2 pm in Taber, and 3 pm-4 pm in Lethbridge.