STARS Air Ambulance held their 2nd Annual Rescue on the Prairie on Thursday.

The fundraising event involves five participants from across the Province gathering in Saskatoon, and flying in STARS helicopters to an undisclosed location, and left there until their target fundraising effort is hit.

Cindy Seidl is the base director for the STARS base in Saskatoon as well as Regina.

She talks about the history of the Rescue Fundraiser.

"This is an event that has been running for many years at our Alberta bases and last year we decided to bring it to Saskatchewan. Our first year was a huge success and we're hoping as well for as big a success this year."

Seidl says all of the funds raised help Saskatchewan STARS stay in the skies.

"Every dollar raised in Saskatchewan stays in Saskatchewan. We have to fund raise for half of our annual operating budget, so this money will go directly to providing care and getting us to those patients."

The five participants: Grant McGrath from Western Sales in Rosetown, Garth MacDonald from G-Mac's Ag Team in Kindersley, Grant Greenslade from Spartan Energy Corp, Doug Lapchuk from Sask. Volunteer Firefighters Association, and Tina Bird from Aecom in Lampman participated in the event and did several challenges through out the day as well as raised funds.

Seidl describes what she hopes the participants will take from the event.

"I hope they walk away understanding why we need them and why we need the support and how they can help us to be there for that next patient to provide that critical care transport for a trauma or a critically ill or injured patient and I hope they understand what a difference they've made in someone's life."

This years event is being considered another success, raising over $516,000.