June 15: Brockville: The Community & Legion Turn Out in Full Force

Brockville - The Portraits of Honour National Tour made a stop in Brockville today at the Royal Canadian Legion on Park Street.

The Kinsmen Club of Brockville held a luncheon at the legion at noon today with several dignitaries in attendance including Leeds Grenville MPP Steve Clark, Brockville Mayor Dave Henderson, Front of Yonge Mayor Roger Haley and Elizabethtown/Kitley Mayor Jim Pickard.

The Portraits of Honour National Tour is centred on a 10' x 35' oil painted mural featuring the hand painted portraits of the 155 Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrew who have lost their lives while serving in Afghanistan. The mural has taken Kinsmen and volunteer artist Dave Sopha over 6,500 hours so far to paint but admits that his work won’t be complete until our combat mission in Afghanistan comes to a close.

The mural has been toured across Canada in a specialized mobile display trailer since May 27, 2021 and organizers expect to raise over $1.5 million. The funds raised will support the Military Families Fund and established military charities to assist families of the fallen and to assist the thousands of military personnel who return home with physical or emotional injuries. Organizers will also seek to fund other charities that offer additional troop and family support that falls outside of the Military Families Fund mandate.

Kinsmen Club of Brockville Chairman Rob Smith said he hopes to raise $6000.00 from the tour stop in Brockville. “There are so many brave men and women who proudly wear the uniform of the Canadian Forces and so many strong families who remain behind to support them. Many of them need financial assistance. We need to make sure that ever dollar raised quickly finds its way to the people who most need it, and that our contribution will make a measurable difference in their quality of life,” said Chairman Rob Smith.

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story courtesy of BNTV