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Number one, you know ladies and gentlemen, I just ask those at the bar, quiet.  In other words, shut up just a minute.  Thank you.  (Applause) You know something, I think tonight we have a momentous time in our country.  I don’t think that we have seen something like this in our history before.  I truly don’t.  You know, here we have 1,600, 1,700, 1,800 Canadians out supporting the families of our men and women in uniform who serve our country, contributing an enormous amount of dollars to them, making sure they know they are appreciated.

And we started off with our Prime Minister.  I know the PM had to leave and I’ll just say that his support, and I’m not pushing one political stripe or another, his support has been phenomenal.  And I’ll tell you, I had the opportunity to be with the Prime Minister in Afghanistan when he arrived for his first visit to the troops.  We had kept the visit very private, very secret because we didn’t want the Taliban to, to bring in any surprises.  And so when the aircraft pulled up finally, we had 30 or 40 people standing around waiting to meet somebody.  They weren’t sure whom.  The aircraft pulled up, shut the engines down, the door opened and the steps came down.  Out walked the Prime Minister, came over to visit the group of 30 or 40.  Everybody had a great time.  He shook all their hands, pictures taken with them, laughed and chuckled with them, went on to his next event.

And one of the ladies came up and said to me sir, you know, it’s really great.  I’ve never met a Prime Minister in my life, I’m really excited about meeting the Prime Minister.  But she said, you know, with all the secrecy that we’ve had, when that aircraft pulled up and shut its engine down and the, the door opened and the ladder came down, she said I thought that it was Don Cherry who was going to walk down those stairs.  (Laughter) (applause) I didn’t tell the Prime Minister that.  I didn’t want to burst the bubble that he had had so far.  But we are here with our Prime Minister, we’re here with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, we’re here with several Premiers, including Premier Dalton McGuinty and I just want to say to you Premier, thank you for what you have done and thank you for announcing putting the yellow ribbons on the license plates of cars here in Ontario.  (Applause) God bless you.  God, he does that well, doesn’t he?

And while I don’t go after personalized license plates, I’m tempted to buy that one and if you put a yellow ribbon on one side and a Toronto Maple Leaf insignia on the other side, I’m good to go for that one, that’s for sure.  Thank you for what you’ve done.

We have Frank McKenna who threw his weight behind this.  And Frank is a good friend of mine.  Of course, he and I work with Toronto Dominion and Frank, when I was getting ready to retire, once said Rick, when you go, if you want a little advice on transition, I’ve been through several.  I can offer you some.  Two days after I announced my retirement, he phoned up and said Rick, we’re going to meet for lunch a little later on.  I can offer you a whole bunch of advice, but in the meantime there are two points that are very important to consider.  Number one, do not make any decisions quickly.  Let the dust settle, figure out what you’re going to do, take a break and then come back with a sane mind.

Number two, he said, very important, we’d like you to come work for Toronto Dominion.  So I, I did that.  And so Frank McKenna has been incredible in his support for what we have been able to do here tonight and so is Joe Natale and Telus, who along with, with my appearances across the country, have kicked in literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Military Family Resource Centres, Military Family Fund, support of men and women in uniform and their families across Canada.  And God bless them for what they do.

And then I talked to folks like RBC or Siddon who are just right up here, have stayed here this evening, who have been here in support of our people and I said look, we have had a momentous moment in our country.  Supporting the families that support those who serve in uniform and I think it has changed the nature of our great country and to those like Shaun Francis and his organising committee, I just want to say thank you.

Second point, (applause) yeah, that’s worth a round of applause, you know that, and I’ll tell you this, the support to those men and women in uniform through their families.  During the years of the 90’s, we in uniform, whether we wondered whether we were worthy of our country or not.  I truly, I truly believe that.  And I think tonight you have answered us.  From our families that you have supported during the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, we were invisible, those families.  Back to the 90’s, somebody in, somebody in Ottawa said to my wife knowing she was married to a, to a soldier, she said anybody associated with somebody in uniform should be ashamed to come out in the streets these days.

We had a lady phone in on a radio show in the 90’s, back in the days when our pay was low, our married quarters were rat infested and she said well, they’re all volunteers, aren’t they?  They don’t like it, they can leave.  And so I just think of what a distance we have come since that time.  And what a positive incredible statement we have made here this evening.  The families that you are supporting, it’s quite incredible huh, they are the ones, they are the ones who stand the stress, they are the ones who the, the births are missed, the first words are missed, the first steps are missed and those birthdays are missed.  And they’re the ones who avoid the media, avoid the news while their loved one is deployed or watch it all the time so they know what’s going on.  And they’re the ones that you are supporting this evening.  It’s pretty incredible what you’re doing here in Canada and I think it’s an incredible step that defines us in the world.

Lastly, I’ll say this.  I’m proud to be Canadian.  I’m proud to be here this evening, to be part of this evening.  (Applause) I’m proud to have worn that Canadian flag on my left shoulder.  You know, back in the 90’s, I said that we sometimes wondered if we were worthy of Canada, and now I think that Canadians wonder if they are worthy of the men and women in uniform who are truly national treasures for us.  (Applause) But you know also what I think is that this night answers that question positively, that you believe that you are worthy because you are going to support them.  During their times of great need, you are there for them, whether it’s the loss of their loved one or whether it’s the tiny family emergency that they need support in.  You are here tonight to say that you are not alone in what you do.

And I’ll close by saying this.  I had a poem sent to me by Don and Michelle Gardner, Nova Scotia, a little short poem, I just want to read it to you and I’ll get out of your way.  It says:

You are not alone

When you rise in the morning and face the day,

You are not alone

When you’re out on patrol and in harm’s way,

You are not alone

When the goals of the mission seem impossible to keep,

You are not alone

When you lie still at night and can’t fall asleep,

You are not alone

We are with you, supporting you and praying for you

We are standing by you in our hearts

And we are loyal to you in our words

You are the reason that we can proudly say I am Canadian

Thank you for what you do

Thank you for your support to the families here tonight.  God bless you.  Amen. like Italy, Croatia, Bosnia and Afghanistan.  And yet, too many have made the ultimate sacrifice.  To all the family members who have lost loved ones in a conflict, we stand by your side, our arms embrace you and as well, you give us the strength and the inspiration to carry on.  And I would ask all of our families of the fallen to please stand up now and we want to give you our respect and our gratitude of a great nation.  Please stand up.  (Applause) We salute you.
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.  Ladies and gentlemen, your attendance tonight and generosity towards our men and women in uniform and their families is greatly appreciated.  Your Forces are deployed around the world, not only Afghanistan, but in Congo, Sudan, Haiti, Middle East and even Cyprus.  Today, HMCS Fredericton moves towards the Horn of Africa.  Their families are at home trying to keep things normal.  I would like to ask you to please think of them and in your own way and your own tradition, say a prayer for them.  Recognize the sacrifices that they for all of us in Canada to be safe.  I’m proud of them, I’m proud of their families, I am truly thankful to Toronto for your support.  God bless.  Thank you very much.

Now I’ll say right up front, I agree with everything Leslie has ever said and ever thought.  (Laughter) And I am so proud of her tonight because she had an incredible message tonight but through all the years of supporting not only me but all the other spouses and military families across the Canadian Forces, Leslie, thank you.  (Applause)

Prime Minister Harper, thank you so much.  Your very presence, your strong message tonight, there’s no doubt in having travelled with you into theatre, your sincere and strong support for the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, thank you sir.  (Applause)

Premier McGuinty, thank you sir for your leadership, thank you for hosting 15 families of the fallen yesterday in the Legislature and honouring and respecting their sacrifices.  Sir, thank you.  (Applause) I’d like to recognize my predecessor, General Rick Hillier and his wonderful wife Joyce who shaped our success and had the vision to create the Military Family Fund.  Rick, thank you so much.  (Applause)

Right up front ladies and gentlemen, I want to recognize those who brought us in here tonight who worked so hard for the success of this event and I’m talking about Shaun Francis, who exactly a year ago (applause) met me and said he had a vision, had a vision, having discussed this with Rick Hillier the year before to have this gala event.  And if I could have Shaun and the entire board of the True Patriot Love, please stand up and please accept our sincere thanks.  God bless you.  (Applause) I’d also like to thank the leaders of industry and corporate Canada, especially based here in Toronto for all of your work to shape and support and enable the Canadian Forces.  Many of you provide the hardware, the software and the support services that ensure for our operational success and enable us to come home safely.  You even provide us our favourite coffee beverage, no names, no pack frill.  Ron Joyce. (Laughter) (applause)

But I also like to thank Maple Leaf Entertainment has been a true leader in hosting the Canadian Forces to Leaf and Raptor games.  You know my favourite teams, that is personal and private information.  But I’ve adopted a phrase, love the one you’re with.  (Laughter) It doesn’t apply to my love life, but go Leafs go.  (Laughter) (applause) and I tell you what, I try to be the leader of the Canadian Forces but the soldiers, sailors, airmen and women, they just want to know about Don Cherry.  (Laughter) (applause)

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we recognize the outstanding service to Canada by our men and women in uniform and their families.  You know, we who wear the uniform, we all walked in a recruiting centre on our own volition.  But it’s our spouses, our spouses who were drafted.  It’s our spouses that when they married us, they didn’t know what they signed up to, but they got drafted into this outfit.  But we appreciate their love, their support and their care.  And in this week of remembrance, we celebrate our veterans, our veterans who trained us, our veterans who showed us the way, who showed us what right looks like.  And we remember those who went overseas and made the supreme sacrifice so that we in Canada could live in peace.  And we are very fortunate tonight to have with us many distinguished veterans including Flight Lieutenant Arthur Bishop, veteran pilot of the Second World War.  He flew Spitfires and the son of Billy Bishop, Victoria Cross.  Sir, please stand up.  (Applause)

To all our veterans, your legacy is seen in the faces of today’s new veterans.  I say frequently that the Canadian Forces are second to none.  Man for man, woman for woman, unit for unit, we don’t take a back seat to anyone.  (Applause) And you heard the term tonight from Trevor Greene, we’re a professional force of warriors, a force that can fight for peace, a force for good.  And that is the veteran’s legacy.  You’ve already heard tonight about Master Corporal Jody Mitic from the Army.  I just want to introduce you to a few other heroes.

This past summer, we’re up in the Arctic, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister MacKay.  And we’re aboard Her Majesty’s Canadian submarine, the Corner Brook, one of our submarines.  And I’d like to recognize someone who’s on that submarine and if leading seaman Stephanie Russell would please stand up.  Where are you Stephanie?  Show, show your hand.  (Applause) Where are you?  There you are.  Stephanie is one of four female submariners in the Canadian Forces, indeed one of the few in the entire world.  (Applause) This lady is a strong woman warrior and all of us are proud of you.  Thank you Stephanie.  (Applause)

I’d like to introduce you to a search and rescue technician, Warrant Officer Andrew McLean.  Where are you Andrew?  Stand up please.  (Applause) Where are you?  There he is.  Now Warrant Officer McLean has taken up the responsibility to support our wounded soldiers like Master Corporal Jody Mitic.  He’s leading a program called Soldier On.  His group is focused on using sports to enable the rehabilitation of our wounded soldiers like Trevor Greene and if they wish, to have an Olympic dream.  And I tell you, he’s accompanied by a young lady, Harley, the daughter of his best, best friend, Corporal Troy Durocher, who’s currently deployed in Kandahar.  This is military family supporting military family.  Well done.  (Applause)

Now I brought in someone here today who’s really special because if you look, saw the Globe and Mail today, you read about the event.  You know, this morning, you saw a story about the courageous and daring rescue by the Canadian Forces of a 17-year old hunter from an ice floe in Northern Hudson’s Bay.  The boy had been stranded on the ice for two days and was being stalked by polar bears.  That’s a bad thing.  (Laughter) Three search and rescue technicians parachuted onto a nearby ice floe, covered the water and the ice chunks to rescue that young hunter.  Tonight with us is the leader of that team of professionals, Sergeant Randy McOrmond.  Where are you?  Stand up.  (Applause)  Randy, keep standing up.  No, we’re not finished with you yet.  (Laughter) But Randy’s from Blind River, Ontario, his wonderful wife Laurie.  And ladies and gentlemen, they have two wonderful kids, 4 and 2.  This is the first break they’ve ever had away from parenthood tonight.  Thank you.  (Applause)

You know ladies and gentlemen, today your Canadian Forces are serving coast to coast and around the world in Afghanistan and 17 other missions around the world.  The sun never sets on the Canadian Forces.  And when you reflect upon where we are today, but also where we’ve served before, and where we served before, the freedoms those countries enjoy today, Canadians have every reason to be proud of the difference we have made to world security.  Let me give you a few examples.

This year, the Royal Canadian Legion is celebrating the 65^th anniversary of the Italian campaign.  Over 100,000 Canadians fought up the boot of Italy, over 6,000 Canadians were killed in action and thousands were wounded.  But today, Italy and Europe are at peace.  Next year, we will celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the Korean war.  Twenty-six thousand Canadians fought in the Korean war.  Over 500 were killed in action and thousands were wounded.  Today, South Korea is at peace.  Recently, we concluded our operations in Croatia in Bosnia.  After 17 years of fighting, of service and of sacrifice.  We fought to open Sarajevo Airport, we fought at the Medak Pocket.  Many Canadians died and many were wounded.  This struck me because recently I was at a NATO meeting, and a gentleman sitting beside me was the Chief of Defence Staff of Croatia because Croatia’s at peace and Croatia is a member of NATO, and Bosnia has sent peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan.  (Applause)

And Canadians are safe because generations of veterans, your kin, your neighbours, your friends who went overseas and fought and made peace, just like your sons and daughters in uniform serve today in Afghanistan. The defence of Canada begins 10,000 kilometres away in places like Italy, Croatia, Bosnia and Afghanistan.  And yet, too many have made the ultimate sacrifice.  To all the family members who have lost loved ones in a conflict, we stand by your side, our arms embrace you and as well, you give us the strength and the inspiration to carry on.  And I would ask all of our families of the fallen to please stand up now and we want to give you our respect and our gratitude of a great nation.  Please stand up.  (Applause) We salute you.

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.  Ladies and gentlemen, your attendance tonight and generosity towards our men and women in uniform and their families is greatly appreciated.  Your Forces are deployed around the world, not only Afghanistan, but in Congo, Sudan, Haiti, Middle East and even Cyprus.  Today, HMCS Fredericton moves towards the Horn of Africa.  Their families are at home trying to keep things normal.  I would like to ask you to please think of them and in your own way and your own tradition, say a prayer for them.  Recognize the sacrifices that they for all of us in Canada to be safe.  I’m proud of them, I’m proud of their families, I am truly thankful to Toronto for your support.  God bless.  Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for being here.  You certainly had more convenient options for this evening, but you chose to be here.  You chose to support our military families by supporting the Military Family Fund.  And that fund has made all the difference to families like the Kerrs, Corporal Billy Kerr was badly wounded while on patrol in Afghanistan.  He lost both legs and an arm.  But Corporal Kerr has what our soldiers all have: determination, courage in the face of adversity and the love and support of people around him.  And thanks to the generous support from the Military Families Fund, Bill Kerr’s two daughters were able to fly from Sudbury to visit him while he recovers and rehabilitates in the Ottawa Hospital.

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.  Thank you for your strength, for your courage, for your devotion to duty and above all, thank you for your true patriot love.  We Canadians can sometimes be quiet about our patriotism, but it’s there.  It’s why we’re here tonight.  Every day ordinary Ontarians show how much they care.  They do things like put ribbons or bumper stickers on their cars, they wear red on Fridays and they can stand for hours in the cold, in the rain or the snow on an overpass, just to quietly honour our fallen.

Now there’s something else Ontarians could choose to do.  Starting in February, drivers in Ontario can get new license plates with a yellow ribbon logo to show their support.  Proceeds will go to support military families.  (Applause) It’s just one more way, a small and perhaps quiet way, for us to say thanks.  So to our military families, I say thank you, we are proud of you and we want you to know you will always have our support.  Thank you very much.  (Applause)

First of all, let me begin by congratulating everyone who had a hand in putting together the inaugural True Patriot Love gala dinner.  I (applause), I salute the organizers for their hard work and their sponsors for their generous support of the men, women and families of the Canadian Forces.

Des événements comme celui-ci, des manifestations publiques de soutien à nos militaires et à leurs familles se multiplient au Canada depuis quelques années.  En fait l’appréciation publique de nos militaires est peut-être plus grande aujourd’hui qu’elle ne l’a été depuis la deuxième guerre mondiale.

Events like this, public expressions of support for our troops and their families have flourished across Canada in recent years.  In fact, public appreciation for our military may be higher today than at any time since the Second World War.  (Applause) You know, I attended one of the first Red Friday rallies back in the fall of 2006.  More than 10,000 people assembled in front of the Parliament Buildings.  The vast sea of red was living proof of the powerful loyalty and love, the true patriot love that Canadians have for our country and for the special people who defend it.

We have seen that love and loyalty expressed in countless other ways by groups and individuals from coast to coast to coast.  Through thousands of personal letters and gifts sent to our troops in Afghanistan, through generous donations to initiatives like the Military Families Fund, through spontaneous displays of respect and compassion such as the solemn vigils we see along the Highway of Heroes when our fallen soldiers return for their final journey and through the rising attendance at annual Remembrance Day ceremonies in communities large and small right across Canada.  Indeed a joint Historic Dominion, Dominion Institute survey released just this week finds that nearly five million Canadians plan to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony this year up from four million last year.  (Applause)

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.  (Applause) And that’s why events like the True Patriot Love gala attracts such tremendous support from loyal Canadians like everyone here tonight.

Le principal bénéficiaire de cet appel de fonds sera le fonds pour les familles des militaires.  Cette noble initiative lancée par le général Hillier en 2007, augmente le soutien institutionnel offert aux membres du service militaire et à leurs familles par les forces canadiennes et le gouvernement du Canada.

The principal beneficiary of this fundraiser will be the Military Families Fund.  This, go ahead, (applause) this noble initiative launched by General Hillier in 2007, augments the institutional support provided to military servicemen and women and their families by the Canadian Forces and the Government of Canada.  It is inspired by the recognition that the Canadian Forces are a family, not just of brothers and sisters in arms, but of wives and husbands, mothers, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, friends and neighbours, the vast network of Canadians who form the extended family of our men and women in uniform.

Napoleon famously said that an army marches on its stomach.  No doubt that’s true, but it succeeds on the strength of its morale and the single most important source of strong morale is the love and support of the people back home.  I’ve heard this (applause), I’ve heard this many times from our troops during my visits to Afghanistan and to Army, Navy and Air Force bases in every part of Canada.  I’ve heard it, we’ve heard it tonight from fallen soldiers, injured soldiers who say it was essential to their recovery and we’ve heard it from the families of the fallen soldiers who say it helped them cope with their unspeakable grief.

Despite the extreme dangers and enormous frustrations of the mission in Afghanistan, despite the fact that we have been there almost as long as we were in two world wars combined, our military commanders report, and I’ve witnessed it myself, that the morale of our troops remains extremely high in the field.

Nos, (applaudissement) nos militaires sont extrêmement fiers et avec raison de leur performance en Afghanistan mais plus que toute autre chose, ils gardent le morale en sachant qu’ils bénéficient de l’amour et du soutien indéfectible de leurs familles, de leurs amis et de leurs communautés, de leur gouvernement et de leurs concitoyens.

Our troops are fiercely and justifiably proud of their performance in Afghanistan, but more than anything else, their morale  is sustained by the knowledge that they have the unequivocal love and support of their families, friends and communities, of their government and of their fellow citizens.  For this reason, the Government of Canada will make a contribution this evening to the Military Families Fund.  Now I should you this donation is being made at the request of their Royal Highnesses, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, whom I met with this morning, and it’s being done in lieu of the customary official gift offered during royal visits.  It will be for an amount of $250,000.  (Applause)

Now, if you will permit me, I want to conclude tonight with a story that illustrates all the themes I’ve touched on.  It is a storage of courage, sacrifice, family and true patriot love.  It’s also a story partly told you already by Don Cherry.  I knew he would steal my thunder somehow.  (Laughter) In any case, it is a story of Master Corporal Jody Mitic, who lost both his legs to a landmine in Afghanistan on January 11, 2007 and of Sergeant Alannah Gilmore, the medic who attended to his wounds on that fateful day.  The traumatic experience they shared bonded them for life.  They have been together ever since and today they are the proud parents of a beautiful 1-year old baby girl and of course, they are our two most honoured guests at the head table tonight.  (Applause)

Now ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to ask you all to rise and to join me in a toast to these two Canadian heroes and in their name to all like them.  Jody and Alannah, on behalf of everyone here and Canadians everywhere, you’re an inspiration to us all.  Please accept our profound gratitude for the sacrifices you have made and for your true patriot love and we salute you, both of you, with the official toast of Jody’s Royal Canadian Regiment, Pro Patria.

Once again ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for having me tonight.  Merci beaucoup.  God bless the men and women of our forces.  God bless Canada.

Date: November 10, 2009

For immediate release

PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER ANNOUNCES CONTRIBUTION TO THE MILITARY FAMILIES FUND

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that the Government of Canada will make a contribution of $250 000 to the Military Families Fund (MFF).

This donation is made on behalf of Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Instead of the customary official gift offered upon Royal visits, Their Highnesses asked that a contribution be made to an organization that supports military personnel and their families.

”The unique demands of the military life can place great pressure on Canadian Forces’ members and their families,” said the Prime Minister. “I commend Their Royal Highnesses for their support of our military men and women.”

The Military Families Fund (MFF) was created in April 2007 to assist military families faced with unforeseen and often immediate needs that have resulted from conditions of service. The fund continues to grow through the generous contributions of Canadians, corporations and other organizations, adding new support for Canadian Forces members and their families.

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Date: le 10 novembre 2009

Pour diffusion immédiate

LE PREMIER MINISTRE STEPHEN HARPER ANNONCE UNE CONTRIBUTION AU FONDS DES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES

OTTAWA – Le Premier ministre Stephen Harper a annoncé aujourd’hui que le gouvernement du Canada versera 250 000 dollars au Fonds des familles des militaires.

Ce don est fait au nom de Leurs Altesses Royales le prince de Galles et la duchesse de Cornouailles. Au lieu de recevoir le cadeau officiel traditionnellement offert aux membres de la famille royale qui nous rendent visite, Leurs Altesses ont demandé qu’une somme soit donnée à une organisation qui vient en aide aux militaires et à leurs familles.

«Les exigences uniques de la vie militaire peuvent exercer de grandes pressions sur les membres des Forces canadiennes et leurs familles, a déclaré le Premier ministre. Je félicite Leurs Altesses Royales de leur soutien à nos militaires.»

Le Fonds pour les familles des militaires a été créé en avril 2007 afin de venir en aide aux familles des militaires dans le cas d’imprévus ou de besoins souvent immédiats découlant des exigences du service. Ce fonds continue de prendre de l’ampleur à mesure que s’y ajoutent les généreuses contributions versées par des Canadiens, des entreprises et d’autres organisations, constituant un nouveau moyen de soutenir les membres des Forces canadiennes et leurs familles.

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It was beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the best events I have ever attended and you all would have been proud of Shaun and the Canadian military.

This was the first event for this new charity to raise funds for Canadian soldiers- called “True Patriot Love” after a line from the Canadian anthem.   In the first event, over 1,700 attended a black tie event that raised over $2 million!   It was a “who’s who” among the Canadian military and politicians and was the largest and most successful fundraiser for Canadian troops by an order of magnitude.   Soldiers rappelled from the ceiling…it was an amazing celebration to the Canadian soldiers and their families.  The use of funds will be for many reasons, sort of a combination of Wounded Warriors, Fallen Heroes and Fisher House.

Prince Charles gave a speech via VTC.  The Prime Minister of Canada attended in person.   The Chief of the Canadian military- General Natynczyk the equivalent of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs attended not only the dinner but he went with Shaun and me to a small informal lunch earlier in the day.

133 Canadian soldiers have been killed in action in Afghanistan to date and many more wounded, making it the highest per capita casualty rate of any allied country fighting in Afghanistan.  One of their most serious wounded, a Captain who was hit in the head with an ax by a Taliban insurgent, gave a very heartfelt speech from his wheelchair as he has started to regain his speech after a year of therapy.     It would be easy for allies such as Canada to choose the easy path and to not send troops to a hard fought counter-insurgency but they have chosen the harder right over the easier wrong- hopefully other NATO nations will follow their lead.    I’m grateful that people like Shaun Francis have helped recognize the sacrifice that Canadian soldiers have made and honored them with this incredible event.

Great job Shaun!

Dan

Pour diffusion immédiate

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE

LA COLLECTE DE FONDS DE LA FONDATION LA PATRIE GRAVÉE SUR LE CŒUR

DÉPASSE LES 2 MILLIONS DE DOLLARS POUR SOUTENIR LES FAMILLES DES MILITAIRES

Les Premiers ministres du pays entier soutiennent solidairement la plus grande soirée-bénéfice à l’appui des familles des militaires

le 10 novembre 2009, Toronto – Shaun Francis, Président du premier Gala de la Fondation La patrie gravée sur le cœur annonçait ce soir que la collecte de fonds de la Fondation a dépassé la somme de 2 millions de dollars pour soutenir les familles des militaires canadiens.

« Si nous réunissons ici ce soir la plupart des leaders de notre pays, nous sommes ici non comme membres des Partis conservateur, libéral, NPD ou vert, mais plutôt en tant que pères, mères, frères, sœurs fils, filles, ami(e)s et—au-delà de tout, comme citoyens de ce grand pays, » selon M. Francis.

Il s’agit du la plus grande soirée-bénéfice jamais tenue à l’appui des familles des militaires canadiens. Ces montants seront versés au Fond pour les familles des militaires, dont le but est d’intervenir rapidement lorsque les familles des militaires font face à des besoins imprévus et souvent urgents qui découlent de leur service militaire. Il pourrait s’agir d’une réhabilitation à la suite d’une blessure, d’un soutien éducatif auprès d’un jeune résident d’une base militaire éloignée, d’un support financier en cas de blessure ou de décès, ou d’un appui auprès d’une famille dont des circonstances urgentes et extraordinaires mettent en péril les nécessités de base.

« Je suis ébloui par le soutien, au-delà de toute espérance, démontré ici ce soir auprès des Forces canadiennes et leurs familles, » a dit le Caporal-chef Jody Mitic, dont le Premier ministre Harper a reconnu la contribution au pays dans son discours. « Un soutien si puissant et visible stimule le moral des troupes de façon formidable. »

La soirée au Palais des congrès du Toronto métropolitain réunissait plus de 1 700 invités, y compris des familles de militaires (dont celles du Capitaine Trevor Green et du Caporal chef Jody Mitic), le Premier ministre Harper, l’Honorable David C. Onley, le Premier ministre McGuinty, le Très honorable Paul Martin, les Chefs des partis d’opposition Michael Ignatieff, Jack Layton et Elizabeth May, le Chef de police William Blair, la Chef Sharon Stinson Henry, Don Cherry et Sam Reid.

Le Général Natynczyk a prononcé la conférence d’ouverture, le Général à la retraite Rick Hillier assumait la présidence d’honneur, les maîtres de cérémonie étaient Lisa LaFlamme, animatrice du téléjournal de CTV, et l’Honorable Bill Davis. Parmi les artistes à l’affiche de la soirée étaient les Ténors canadiens, Leahy et Natalie MacMaster, Dennis Leclair, Beverley Mahood et la chorale de l’École Fern Hill. Telus était le commanditaire principal de la soirée.

«  Ce soir nous reconnaissons le service extraordinaire auprès du Canada de nos hommes et de nos femmes en uniforme. Nous apprécions l’amour, les soins et le soutien de leurs familles, » a dit le Général Walt Natynczyk, Chef d’état-major de la défense. « Et surtout au cours de cette semaine du souvenir, nous célébrons nos anciens combattants—ceux qui nous formés, qui nous ont tracé la voie, qui nous ont démontré le droit chemin; ceux qui sont allés à l’étranger et ont fait le sacrifice ultime pour que nous puissions vivre en paix. »

« Les Canadiens font un excellent travail lorsqu’il s’agit de reconnaître les sacrifices de nos parents, nos grandparents et nos arrières-grandparents, » selon M. Francis. « Mais il est également important de reconnaître au cours de la Semaine du souvenir les sacrifices que font aujourd’hui nos hommes et femmes en uniforme, ainsi que leurs familles. Voilà la mission de la Fondation de La Patrie gravée sur le cœur. »

La Fondation, créée par des leaders du monde des affaires et de la communauté, se voue à la collecte de fonds afin de financer des programmes pour augmenter le bien-être des membres des Forces canadiennes et de leurs familles, et aussi à la célébration de leur service altruiste. La Fondation cherche à combler les besoins des héros canadiens qui servent le pays ici ou à l’étranger, ainsi que ceux des familles qui les soutiennent.

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Renseignements :

Mme Bronwen Evans

Membre du conseil, La Fondation de la patrie gravée sur le cœur

bronwenevans@truepatriotlovefoundation.com

(416)350-8374

(647)448-8374 - mobile

For immediate release

NEWS RELEASE

TRUE PATRIOT LOVE FOUNDATION RAISES OVER $2 MILLION IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY FAMILIES

Prime Minister and Premiers Unite in Support of Largest Fundraiser for Military Families

November 10, 2009, Toronto – Chair Shaun Francis tonight announced at the True Patriot Love Foundation inaugural gala that the Foundation has raised over $2 million in support of Canadian military families.

“Tonight, we have most of our country’s leaders assembled, but we are not here as Conservative, Liberal, NDP or Green. We are here as fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and friends, and most importantly as citizens of this great country,” said Francis.

This is the largest fundraiser for military families in Canadian history and the money raised will be donated to the Military Families Fund. The purpose of the Fund is to quickly step in to assist military families faced with unforeseen and often urgent needs that have resulted from conditions of service, including rehabilitation after an injury, educational support for children with special needs on remote bases, financial assistance in the case of injury or death, and urgent and extraordinary financial demands where the ability to provide family necessities is at risk.

“I am in awe by the overwhelming support to the Canadian Forces and their families shown here tonight,” said Master Corporal Jody Mitic, who was recognized by Prime Minister Harper. “Such outward visible support is a huge morale boost to the troops.”

Over 1,700 guests attended the dinner at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, including military families (including Captain Trevor Green, and Master Corporal Jody Mitic), The Right Honourable Prime Minister Harper, The Honourable David C. Onley, Premier McGuinty, Right Honourable Paul Martin, M.P. Michael Ignatieff, M.P. Jack Layton, Elizabeth May, Chief William Blair, Chief Sharon Stinson Henry, Don Cherry and Sam Reid.

General Natynczyk delivered the keynote address, General (Ret’d) Rick Hillier was the Honourary Chair, and CTV’s Lisa LaFlamme and the Honourable Bill Davis were the Masters of Ceremony. Entertainment for the evening included the Canadian Tenors, Leahy and Natalie MacMaster, Dennis Leclair, Beverley Mahood and The Fern Hill School Choir. Telus was the lead sponsor for the evening.

“Tonight we recognize the outstanding service to Canada by our men and women in uniform. We appreciate the love, care and support by their families,” said General Walt Natynczyk, Chief of the Defence Staff.  “And especially in this week of remembrance, we celebrate our Veterans – those who trained us, who showed us the way, who showed us what right looks like. Those who went overseas and made the supreme sacrifice so that we could live in peace.”

“Canadians do a tremendous job of recognizing the sacrifices made by our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents,” said Francis. “But it’s equally important that Veterans Week includes recognizing the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform and their families are making today. That is the mission of the True Patriot Love Foundation.”

The True Patriot Love Foundation, founded by corporate and community leaders, is dedicated to raising funds for programs to improve the well-being of members of the Canadian military and their families, and to celebrate their selfless service. The Foundation strives to help meet the needs of Canadian heroes serving at home and abroad, as well as the needs of the families who support them.

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For further information please contact:

Ms. Bronwen Evans

Director, True Patriot Love Foundation

bronwenevans@truepatriotlovefoundation.com

(416)350-8374

(647)448-8374 - cell