Mishall RehmanThe international financial services group, Manulife Financial Corporation, donated $50,000 to True Patriot Love (TPL) as part of their inaugural ceremony, “Remembering the Fallen,” to commemorate and honour the Canadian Armed Forces. The ceremony was held on Nov. 4 at the global headquarters of the company in Toronto.
“Canadians owe a great deal to those who serve our country in the armed forces. As a gesture of thanks and remembrance, we have created a flag garden in front of our Head Office, and we hope that people will have the opportunity to see this tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Donald Guloien, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife.
Executives from the company, including Guloien and VP Warren Thompson, discussed Manulife’s commitment to the CAF. The national anthem was performed by an elementary school choir of 75 children from Rose Avenue Public School in Toronto.
The tribute not only honoured the memory of the fallen but also acknowledged the sacrifice of military families.
As a gesture of appreciation, Manulife unveiled a flag garden in the front lawn of company headquarters. More than 11,800 flags were placed on the lawn to honour the 118,000 members of the CAF, who have fallen during wartime and peacekeeping missions. The flags will remain on display until Remembrance Day.
Besides company executives, the event was attending by Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lt. Gov of Ontario; Hon. Minister Yasir Naqvi, minister of community safety and correctional services; Col. Chris Ayotte, Chief of Staff 4th Canadian Division/Joint Task Force; and other military personnel and veterans. The event was also attended by TPL co-founder Shaun Francis.
Manulife and TPL have partnered together in the past.
“True Patriot Love is sincerely grateful to Manulife for both honouring and supporting our Armed Forces, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Together, we are committed to seeing positive change for our servicemen and women, veterans and their families,” said Jaime Wilson, VP of Development at True Patriot Love in a statement.
The donation will be used to fund military programs and organizations across the country.
“While planning our Remembering the Fallen ceremony, we thought it was fitting to contribute a donation to True Patriot Love. True Patriot Love plays an important role in Canadian society by providing meaningful support to members of the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans and their families. We’re proud to support them with a $50,000 donation, especially during this time of year,” said Brooke Tucker-Reid, Media Relations Consultant for Manulife.
