EVENT UPDATE:
Commissionaires Ottawa raises $32,000 for CFB Petawawa’s military families
RUN FOR MILITARY FAMILIES (Ottawa-Petawawa): May 9 -10
Just over 20 commissionaires and 20 military personnel crossed the RUN FOR MILITARY FAMILIES finish line at CFB Petawawa this weekend following a first-ever 200-km, relay-style run. A total of $32,000 was raised in support of the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre (PMFRC), a non-profit agency located at CFB Petawawa whose mission is to enrich the lives of individuals and families of the military community through positive action, education, and support.
On Friday, the commissionaires and military runners started out from Parliament Hill and first stopped by St. Isidore Catholic School on March Road in Kanata, where hundreds of students greeted them with loud cheers, music, hand-made banners and a cheque for $1,000. Through Friday and Saturday, the runners continued along Old Highway 17 West through the communities of Arnprior, Renfrew, the township of McNab/Braeside, the township of Whitewater Region, the city of Pembroke and town of Petawawa.
“This event would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of well over one hundred Commissionaires Ottawa and CFB Petawawa volunteers,” said Paul Guindon, CEO of Commissionaires Ottawa, Lead Sponsor and Organizer of the event. “Special thanks go to the Fundraising, Operations and Support, and Communications and Media Relations teams who organized and managed the event from start to finish. Special thanks also go to the RCMP, OPP, Ottawa Police Service, Military Police, Pembroke Police Service, the Legions, as well as all the Mayors and their municipalities along the way who were instrumental in assisting us with event logistics, permits, vehicles and equipment, volunteers, support for the runners and helping to spread the word. We would also like to acknowledge the financial and volunteer support received from our corporate sponsors.”
“Many commissionaires are former members of the Canadian Forces, so together with our brothers and sisters from CFB Petawawa, they share a passion to safeguard our country’s freedom and peaceful way of life. It was an honour to have them running with us and a proud moment to be able to present the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre with a $32,000 cheque at the finish line,” Mr. Guindon added.
Lieutenant Colonel William (Bill) Moore, Base Commander, CFB Petawawa, said, “When Commissionaires Ottawa approached us with the idea of organizing a relay run from Ottawa to Petawawa to support military families, we were very pleased. We are grateful for the efforts of Commissionaires Ottawa for bringing together military veterans with our soldiers for a cause we both feel proud to support."
Theresa Sabourin, Executive Director of the Petawawa Military Family Resource Centre, said she was overwhelmed by the outcome and thanked everyone involved for their generosity and dedication. The money will be used towards their Respite Child Care services, a popular program that is currently running at a deficit of $35,000. The Centre had been concerned about how to address this deficit until they received the cheque, at which point Ms. Sabourin exclaimed, "But now, oh my gosh, we are there!"
The concept for RUN FOR MILITARY FAMILIES was inspired by Commissionaires Ottawa Inspector Moe St-Louis (CWO, ret’d) who spent over 32 years in the Canadian Forces. With his partner Denise Lanctôt by his side, the idea took on a life of its own several months ago. Moe’s daughter Christine is an OPP Constable and her husband Sgt Chesley Reid was deployed overseas last week. Together they have three children: Zachary (age 7), Joshua (age 5) and Chloe (age 2). Moe was joined by his son, Patrick, for the duration of the run. For Moe and his loved ones, this was truly a family event.
Mr. St-Louis said, “This event is about remembering the sacrifices that families make when their loved ones are deployed. We need to remember what it’s like for the spouses and children. We need to do everything we can to show them we care and support them through difficult times. As our troops serve our country, let’s do our part to serve their families’ needs.”
Donations are still being accepted this week by calling (613) 231-6462, ext. 615 (National Capital Region) or toll-free 1-877-322-6777, ext. 615 (Ottawa Valley).
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Andrée Paige, Communications/Media Relations (Commissionaires Ottawa)
Tel: (613) 745-2312 / Cell: (613) 863-1828 / E-mail : andree@cgacommunications.com
Click here for instructions on how to MAKE A DONATION to support military families.
Click here to BECOME A CORPORATE SPONSOR of this event.
Click here to LEARN MORE about this event.