my Story.
Lorraine Dykstra brings decades of hands-on experience, leadership, and community service to her role as Treasurer of the HALO Air Ambulance Board. A retired farmer with a lifetime of experience in small-scale agriculture—from moving pipes and working with cattle to harvesting crops and fixing machinery—Lorraine is no stranger to hard work and long hours. She also managed bookkeeping and administration for her family’s trucking company and previously spent ten years as an office manager and salesperson for a cabinet company.
Lorraine was introduced to HALO through a chance conversation with fellow board member Dale Thacker at an Ag Expo. His passion for HALO sparked a simple but fateful question: “What can I do to help?” When he said the board needed a treasurer, Lorraine—who had served in similar roles for other nonprofits—volunteered. Eight years later, she remains a cornerstone of HALO’s financial stewardship and a driving force behind its ongoing success.
Lorraine currently serves as HALO’s Treasurer and Chair of the Governance Committee. Her keen attention to detail, love of numbers, and commitment to service are vital to keeping HALO financially strong and accountable. She's also known for her wry humor, once noting that her skill at “working for nothing” comes from a lifetime in farming and volunteerism.
She is deeply passionate about HALO’s growth and future—ensuring the program can continue to evolve and serve more people across Southern Alberta. For Lorraine, HALO’s impact comes down to one simple, profound truth: “To the one person we pick up, our impact means life. To their families and friends—we are everything.”
Outside of HALO, Lorraine is an avid quilter, gardener, and traveler. She has served on multiple nonprofit boards over the years, including 24 years with the Taber Safe Haven Women’s Shelter Society in various leadership roles. And while many might be surprised, her playlist features a love for classical music and opera.
To Lorraine, HALO is life—because it’s about more than saving lives; it’s about living with purpose, working together, and building something that matters.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you. HALO exists only because of the generosity of our incredible community and the thousands of volunteer hours poured into this program since the beginning. You keep us in the air.”