STARS lottery hopes for easier flight for fundraising effort

Alberta STARS Air Ambulance officials are hoping for a quicker lottery liftoff after a few years of recession-challenged fundraising.
The life-saving service launched its annual lottery campaign Thursday, an effort aiming to raise up to $12 million, or about one-third of its budget, said spokesman Mike Haska.
“That’s the equivalent of the cost of running one of our three Alberta bases,” he said.
Buffeted by the economic downturn, the lottery fell just short of a sellout last ye