June 8: Wingham, ON and Listowel, ON: Small Contributions Combine to Make Big Impacts
It was a very busy day for the POH Tour with two distinct stops, a short morning stop in Wingham, and a longer afternoon/evening stop in Listowel. Wingham welcomed the Portraits of Honour with a police escort which caught the attention of locals given the early hour of arrival. School children, supporters and veterans attended a formal ceremony and then took their time admiring the portraits, while enjoying lunch provided by the area Kin Club. In Listowel, many locals came out to see the Portraits of Honour and enjoy all day entertainment ( and air conditioning!) at the local arena.
While the two events were very different ( many of the tour staff said they felt we had lived two days in one) they did share one common similarity; each event relied on many small contributions to make a big impact.
In WIngham, at least a dozen schools presented cheques to Portraits of Honour from each of their individual fundraising efforts and more than 150 businesses pledged sponsorship in cash, or in kind. In Listowel, a myriad of local talent came out to entertain the crowd, volunteers staffed the stage, donation stands, and food kiosks, and local dignitaries gave of their time to support the Portraits of Honour. While none of these individual contributions alone seem like a big deal ( though we are thankful for all of them), together they provided an incredible impact both within the community and for the groups that this tour will support with it's fundraising efforts.
|
The mother of fallen hero Master Corporal Anthony Klumpenhouwer |