Operation Raise a Flag Returns to Salute Canadian Veterans with 47,500 Canadian Flags on November 11th

Toronto's Remembrance Day tradition kicks off Sunnybrook Veterans Centre's annual fundraising campaign

TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2018 /CNW/ - Toronto's Remembrance Day tradition, Operation Raise a Flag, returns to Sunnybrook Veterans Centre on Sunday, November 11^th. On the eve of Remembrance Day, the country's largest Veterans' care facility will have hundreds of volunteers planting a patriotic sea of 47,500 Canadian flags all around the hospital campus. On the morning of November 11^th, the Centre's 475 Veterans will wake up to a sea of red and white flags in their honour and know that their sacrifice is remembered.

Now in its eighth year, Operation Raise a Flag encourages all Canadians to send a personal note of thanks and a donation to support Veterans residing at the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre. The 47,500 flags will be a powerful symbol of our gratitude, support and respect for the Veterans who fought to make Canada the strong and free country it is today.

"All of us at Sunnybrook consider it an honour and a privilege to care for the courageous men and women who served our country in the name of peace and freedom." says Dr. Jocelyn Charles, Medical Director of the Veterans Centre. "Operation Raise a Flag has become a wonderful tradition and an important way for Canadians to remember and honour the service and sacrifices of a generation that fought in the Second World War and the Korean War." 

Proceeds from the campaign will provide Veterans with special 'extras', enabling veterans to achieve their best quality of life through community outings, continued learning opportunities, innovative equipment and unique programming. Donations will also be used to support enhancements to outdoor spaces such as the Veterans Therapeutic Garden.

Flags are available online at www.raiseaflag.ca with a $25 donation by calling the Sunnybrook Foundation at 1-866-696-2008.

What Operation Raise a Flag means to our Veterans

Seeing the sea of red and white is a spectacular sight, very emotional and a real indication of the community's gratitude. The courage and sacrifices of Canada's war veterans must never be forgotten.
Don Stewart, Royal Canadian Navy, Second World War

We lost so many brave men and women fighting for this country ? it means so much to all of us to have Canadians remember the sacrifice.
Mel Storrier, Royal Canadian Corps of Signals Second World War

Remembrance Day has a personal meaning to each and every veteran.  Operation Raise a Flag is a sign that the rest of the country remembers with us.  It is truly heartwarming
Mary Prescott, Canadian Women's Army Corp, Second World War

About Sunnybrook Veterans Centre
Working in close partnership with Veterans Affairs Canada, the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre is the largest Veterans care facility in Canada and a recognized leader in the care of Veterans who are no longer able to live at home independently. No other facility provides such a high level of specialized, compassionate, resident-centered care through a dedicated inter-professional team.

SOURCE Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre