**Updated Monday, December 9, 2024**
The money keeps rolling in despite the official Staches for STARS fund-raising push coming to an end just over a week ago.
In an update sent to PembinaValleyOnline, Lloyd Wiebe said they hit the $140,000 mark on Thursday morning. Again, this far surpasses the $75,000 goal that was set at the start of November and blew past last year's record-setting $113,000.
Check out the full story below.
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Eight years in, and support for LD Seed's annual 'Staches for STARS fund raiser just keeps growing.
Customers and friends of the Altona-area company rallied hard to beat last year's record-setting $113,000 and, as of Monday morning, had brought in $127,000. This far surpassed the $75,000 goal set out.
"You never know where to set it, so we set it at 75 (thousand) again really hoping to surpass that 100-thousand-dollar mark," said organizer, Lloyd Wiebe.
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As part of the fund raiser, supporters grow what Wiebe calls greasy mustaches, in their own spin on Movember.
"Movember is really about men's health and cancer, and we put our own twist on it to maybe supply services to those people are dealing with bad health or bad situations," he explained, noting STARS flew over 50 missions into the Pembina Valley. "It's a valued service," he said.
The month-long fund raiser wrapped up with an annual brisket dinner on Friday evening where prizes for the 'nastiest' moustaches were given out.
Wiebe took time to thank the business community, LD Seeds' customers and his family.
"This is a family event. It's a community event. My family, my partner, we all work on this project together and it's really an exciting time."
As well, Brad and Ashley Wiebe donated the use of their Gables Wedding Barn for Friday's celebration, Ridgeville Hutterite colony donated the brisket that was served, and Two Smoking Guys donated their time to cook the meat.
Tracy Mowdy, community engagement officer for the STARS Foundation, also attended Friday's dinner.
"Staches for STARS has just been amazing," she said. "It makes a huge difference for the Foundation to be able to have these funds to go to extra training for the crew, extra medical equipment on board so that we can get everything top-notch and at a quicker pace."
This includes mannequins for training, on-board incubators and more.
"Every needle that they give, every syringe, is about a dollar," Mowdy explained further. "So, anything small or large is always covering something. You can give five dollars and you'll be covering five syringes use to treat somebody."