On the eve of Remembrance Day, a patriotic sea of 47,500 Canadian flags will be planted at Sunnybrook Veterans Centre in Toronto so that 475 veteran residents can wake up November 11th knowing their sacrifice has been remembered.
The Operation Raise a Flag campaign is an annual Remembrance Day tribute and fundraiser. Launched yesterday, the campaign allows all Canadians to contribute to the sea of flags planted by making a donation and sending a personal note of thanks to veterans residing at the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital.
Photo: CNW Group/Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Sunnybrook opened its doors in 1948 as a war veterans’ hospital to care for Canadian heroes. The Veterans Centre is now home to veterans who served in the Second World War and the Korean War.
Proceeds from Operation Raise a Flag will provide veterans with special amenities that enable them to achieve their best quality of life through community outings, continued learning opportunities, innovative therapy, and industry-leading programming. Donations will also be used to support enhancements to outdoor spaces, such as the Veterans Therapeutic Garden.
Visit www.raiseaflag.ca or call Sunnybrook Foundation at 1-866-696-2008 to have a flag planted by making a donation.
Five Canadian veterans are buried in Summit County, Ohio, United States along with 35 veterans of other country’s military services. I will try to honor the five this November 11th but will definitely do so next year with Canadian flags.
Would I do the same for British veterans (i.e., a British flag)?
The Summit County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society compiled an Excel file of all veterans buried in Summit County cemeteries. The group decided at that time that a veteran is a veteran is a veteran so all known veterans of other military services are listed in the Excel file.