2009 Toronto Dinner

On the eve of Remembrance Day 2009, the True Patriot Love Foundation held its inaugural dinner in Toronto. Over 1,700 people attended, including military families (including Captain Trevor Green, and Master Corporal Jody Mitic), The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., The Honourable David C. Onley, O.Ont., The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, The Right Honourable Paul Martin, P.C.. Michael Ignatieff, M.P. Jack Layton, M.P., Elizabeth May, O.C., Chief William Blair, O.O.M., Chief Sharon Stinson Henry, Don Cherry and Sam Reid.

The event raised over $2 million in support of the Canadian Military Families Fund.

Keynote addresses

General Natynczyk: “Whether our men and women are serving at home or overseas, they need to be able to focus on their missions. We need to take care of our families while their loved ones are deployed. That’s what we’re doing here tonight in Toronto.” READ MORE.

Right Honourable Stephen Harper: “I believe that such displays of affection and respect for our troops are part of who we are as a people. We know in our hearts that we owe our freedom, our democracy and our prosperity to the millions of Canadians who by serving in our Armed Forces have kept the True North strong and free for over two centuries.” READ MORE.

Hon. Dalton McGuinty: “In the end, and I think we’ve all come to understand this, a family’s, it’s a family’s love that makes all the difference. And it’s how this fund makes all the difference as well. I want to thank the military families here tonight.” READ MORE.

Entertainment

Click here to view “Instrument of Peace” by the Canadian Tenors.
Click here to view “To Our Canadian Troops” by Dennis Leclair.

Photos

Click here to see pictures of the event. (With special thanks to photographer David Artemiw).

Helmets

The cornerstone of the True Patriot Love Tribute Dinner Auction was the collection of 70 replica Canadian army helmets that were painted, sculpted and transformed by wonderful Canadian artists who gave generously of their time and talent to the Artists for Families Program. The helmets raised from several hundred dollars to an amazing $7,000.00 for helmet sculpted by Yolanda vanderGaast of Toronto’s MST Bronze Studios. We are eternally grateful to the artists who gave on behalf of the Canadian Military and their families. The breadth of talent and creative ideas caught us all by surprise.

2009 Committee

Honorary Chair

General (Ret’d) Rick Hillier, C.M.M., M.S.C., C.D.

Guest Speaker

General Walt Natynczyk, C.M.M., M.S.C., C.D.

Dinner Co-Chairs

Blake C. Goldring, M.S.M., Ronald V. Joyce, C.M., Rebecca MacDonald, Major-General (Ret’d) Lewis MacKenzie, C.M., O.Ont., M.S.C. and Bar, C.D., The Honourable Frank McKenna, P.C., O.C., O.N.B., Q.C., Howard Sokolowski, Charlie Spiring, The Honourable Belinda Stronach, P.C., Lawrence M. Tanenbaum, O.C., The Honourable Hilary M. Weston, C.M., O.Ont.

Fundraising Co-Chairs

Elyse Allan, James Eaton, Senator Linda Frum, Brian Read

Tribute Committee

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P., The Honourable Eva Aariak, Harvey Atkin, National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, Joseph J. Barnicke, Douglas Bassett, O.C., O.Ont., Geoff Beattie, Avie Bennett, C.C., O.Ont., Chief William Blair, The Honourable Ed Broadbent, P.C., C.C., Derek H. Burney, O.C., The Honourable Gordon Campbell, The Right Honourable Kim Campbell, The Honourable Jean Charest, The Right Honourable Jean Chretien, O.C., The Right Honourable Joe Clark, The Right Honourable Colonel-in-Chief Adrienne Clarkson, P.C., C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., Charles S. Coffey, O.C., George A. Cohon, O.C., O.Ont., Mark Cohon, Elizabeth Comper, Tony Comper, The Honourable William G. Davis, P.C., C.C., Q.C., Senator Joseph A. Day, Robert Deluce, Th, Honourable Darrell Dexter, Senator Consiglio Di Nino, The Honourable Gary Doer, Senator Michael Duffy, Fredrik D. Eaton, John Craig Eaton, K.St.J., O.Ont., D.Com., Senator Nicole C. Eaton, Thor E. Eaton, Janet Ecker, Senator Art Eggleton,The Honourable Ernie Eves, Q.C., Senator J. Trevor Eyton, O.C., Q.C., Anthony S. Fell, The Honourable Dennis Fentie, The Honourable Gary Filmon, P.C., O.M., The Honourable Jim Flaherty, P.C., M.P., Chief Phil Fontaine, The Honourable Myra A. Freeman, C.M., O.N.S., Senator Irving R Gerstein, C.M., O.Ont., The Honourable Robert Ghiz, Paul Godfrey, Senator Jerry S. Grafstein, Q.C., Honorary Lieutenant Colonel BilGraham, P.C., Q.C., The Honourable Shawn Graham, The Honourable Michael D. Harris, Stanley Hartt, O.C., Q.C., David J. Hennigar Honorary Colonel Sally Horsfall, S.S.St.J., C.D., Michael Ignatieff, M.P., The Honourable Henry N.R. Jackman, O.C., O.Ont., Senator Colin Kenny, James Kinnear,Jack Layton, M.P., Jim Leech, The Honourable Ed Lumley, P.C., The Honourable Peter G. MacKay, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Hugh MacKinnon, The Honourable John Manley, P.C., The Right Honourable Paul Martin, P.C., Elizabeth May, O.C., G. Wallace F. McCain, C.C., The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Senator Michael A. Meighen, Q.C., Mayor David Miller, The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Joe Natale, Gordon M. Nixon, O.Ont., Senator Pierre Claude Nolin , The Honourable Bev Oda, P.C., M.P., Councillor John Parker, Senator Lucie Pépin, The Honourable David R. Peterson, P.C., Q.C., Rod Phillips, The Honourable Bob Rae, M.P., The Honourable Floyd K. Roland, Reza R. Satchu, Senator Hugh D. Segal, C.M., Mary Simon, O.C., O.Q., LL.D., Edward Sonshine, Q.C., The Honourable Ed Stelmach, Chief William A. Stewart, FIFireE, CFO, CMM, AdeC Chief Sharon Stinson Henry, Peter Stoffer, M.P., The Honourable Brian V. Tobin, P.C., John H. Tory, Q.C., Justin Trudeau, M.P., The Right Honourable John N. Turner, P.C., C.C., Q.C., The Honourable Brad Wall, Senator Pamela Wallin, O.C., S.O.M., The Honourable, Danny Williams, W. Brett Wilson

Fundraising Committee

Charlie Angelakos, Casey Adam Antolak, William Arvanitis, Dany H. Assaf, Matthew Bassett, Randy Benson, Wendy Broad, John Capobianco, Michael Coates, Pauline Couture, Ferg Devins, Charles Field-Marsham, Kris Fisher, John A. K. Francis, Dr. Robert W. Francis, Michael Geddes, Claudia Hepburn, Tim Hodgson, Tim W. Hogarth, Sasha Jacob, Brett James, Sandra Keeley, Sarah Ker-Hornell, Kenneth R. Kirsh, William G. Lambert, Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, Shawn Leslie, Deborah Lewis, Adrian D. Luces, Jean-Marc MacKenzie, Perry Miele, Allan P. O’Dette, Zane H. Piekenbrock, C.D., Robert G. Power, John F. Prato, David Purdy, David Pyper, Michael G. Sherrard, Walied Soliman, Geoffrey Spidle, Ron Tal, Stephen Tapp, Matthew Tedford, Joanne Trudel, David Turner, Mark Wiseman, Steve Yuzpe, Aubrey Zidenberg

True Patriot Love Committee

Chair: Shaun Francis
Vice Chairs: Michael Burns, Alek Krstajic, Erin O’Toole, C.D., Beth Appleton, B. Christopher A. Brown, James Dodds, Geoffrey J.R. Dyer, Bronwen Evans, Tracey Hubley, Garo Keresteci, Jeffrey Latimer, Janice O’Born, Major Cindy Tessier, Jaime Watt

Karen I. Miller, Fundraising & Dinner Director