The push behind Canada’s largest military fundraiser began in earnest yesterday, as former chief of defence staff Rick Hillier announced the return of the True Patriot Love Foundation gala.

Last year, on the night before Remembrance Day, 1,700 soldiers, entertainers, elected officials, corporate sponsors and Masters of the Universe squeezed into the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the event’s inaugural, raising $2.3-million for veterans and military families — the most ever in Canada.

The goal for this year’s event, again scheduled for Nov. 10, is $2.4-million.

“To be associated with these young men and women in uniform, and to be associated with their families is one of the — actually, it’s the only perk I had as chief of the defence staff — and it’s one of the things I enjoy most in life,” Mr. Hillier told a Toronto news conference yesterday.

His charity, the Military Families Fund, received the largest portion of last year’s total.

Read the full article at the National Post.