Juno Beach Centre Remembrance Day Fundraiser – Ernest Beno SITREP, 12 Oct 2020
As previously mentioned, the Juno Beach Centre is Canada’s memorial in Europe honouring those who fought in World War II. I am on the Board of Directors of the Juno Beach Centre Association, and have been for 10 years. We seek to protect the legacy of Canada’s Second World War veterans in a manner that is interesting, relevant and educational to new generations, today, tomorrow, and in the future. Covid-19 has hit us hard, so, we are re-grouping and re-establishing our fundraising initiatives. This is one of them.
I am doing a “virtual Normandy walk” from Juno Beach, to Caen, Falaise, across the Seine, then to Dieppe, liberated in September 1944. I am closing in on Dieppe and will achieve my goal by Remembrance Day, 11 November, total about 320 kilometres.
Overall we have about 700 participants and we have raised over $40,000, and still have more than a month to go.
I have had over 90 supporters and I am closing in on $20,000 (but have a ways to go). A few more supporters would be welcomed.
- To donate in my name (Ernest Beno) on-line go to:
- If you wish to mail a donation, make cheques payable to “The Juno Beach Centre Association”:
Juno Beach Centre Association
Unit 44 – 760 Brant Street
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 4B7
(Or, preferably– Mail to Brigadier-General (Retired) Ernest Beno, 1066 Caitlin Cr, Kingston, ON K7P 2S4 – and I will get the cheque to the JBCA)
- To sign up yourself as a participant, go to: https://www.events.runningroom.com/site/17167/
- For more information click here to visit the Virtual Remembrance Day / Juno Beach event website.
- To learn about the Juno Beach Centre, go to: https://www.junobeach.org/
I would also like to introduce Jim Parks, a D-Day vet of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles (Little Black Devils) – age 96:
Veteran Jim Parks is Walking in Remembrance of his Fallen Comrades in Support of the Juno Beach Centre
Le vétéran Jim Parks marchera en souvenir de ses camarades tombés au combat pour soutenir le Centre Juno Beach
On Wednesday October 7, veteran and dear friend of the JBC Jim Parks, 96, took the first steps of a symbolic walk in honour of the 45,000 Canadians who lost their lives in the war. Mr. Parks was kicking off his role as the official ambassador for the Remembrance Day Races, a virtual run/walk event to raise funds for the JBC.
This year he has chosen to commemorate Remembrance Day by sharing his story and walking to raise awareness of the JBC’s cause, reflect on his remarkable war experience, and to pay tribute to those lost 76 years ago. His goal is to raise one dollar for every Canadian soldier who lost their lives and was laid to rest in cemeteries in Normandy.
“We have 5,200 good Canadian soldiers buried in Normandy,” said Mr. Parks. “Regular Canadians; fathers, uncles, that are over there 3,000 miles away. We don’t get to see them so it’s important to bring it forward, to bring the memories back to Canada and show them what this walk is for.”
Mr. Parks, a former marathoner, chose to tackle the Strongpoint 1500m distance, named for the German strongpoint and 1,500-metre stretch of beach overcome by Jim’s regiment, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, on D-Day.
“This walk is a walk of remembrance,” said Mr. Parks. “It brings up a lot of memories for me. They become very vivid. When people are doing their own walk of remembrance I want them to take the time to think about the reason they are walking. They are walking for all the Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Anyone wishing to sponsor Jim Parks and help him meet his $5,000 goal for the JBC can do so here.
Links:
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/96-year-old-veteran-goes-on-symbolic-walk-to-honour-his-fallen-comrades
https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2051138&binId=1.1272429&playlistPageNum=1
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2051203
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Le 7 octobre, vétéran et grand ami du CJB Jim Parks, âgé de 96 ans, a fait les premiers pas d’une marche symbolique en l’honneur des 45 000 Canadiens qui ont perdu la vie pendant la guerre. M. Parks est l’ambassadeur officiel des courses du jour du Souvenir, un événement virtuel de course / marche destiné à recueillir des fonds pour le CJB.
Cette année, M. Parks a choisi de souligner le jour du Souvenir en partageant son histoire et en marchant pour sensibiliser le public à la cause du CJB et afin de rendre hommage à ceux qui y ont perdu la vie il y a 76 ans. Son objectif est d’amasser un dollar pour chaque soldat canadien qui a perdu la vie et qui est inhumé dans les 2 cimetières canadiens en Normandie.
« Nous avons 5 200 soldats canadiens enterrés en Normandie», explique Parks. « Ils étaient tous des Canadiens bien ordinaires; des pères, des oncles, et là, il sont là-bas, à 5000km de chez eux. Nous n’avons pas la possibilité d’aller nous recueillir sur leurs tombes, il est donc important de rappeler ces faits aux Canadiens d’aujourd’hui et d’expliquer à quoi à quoi sert cette marche. »
Ancien marathonien, M. Parks a choisi de s’attaquer à la distance de 1500 mètres; le Strongpoint 1500 qui représente le système de défenses allemandes surmonté par son régiment, le Royal Winnipeg Rifles, lors du Jour J.
« Cette marche est une marche du souvenir, » raconte Parks. « Cela me rappelle beaucoup de souvenirs qui m’ont profondément marqués. Lorsque les gens feront leur course ou leur marche du souvenir, je veux qu’ils prennent le temps de réfléchir à la raison pour laquelle ils marchent. Ils le feront pour tous les Canadiens qui ont fait le sacrifice ultime. »
Quiconque souhaite parrainer M. Parks et l’aider à atteindre son objectif de 5 000 $ pour le CJB peut le faire ici.
Links:
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/96-year-old-veteran-goes-on-symbolic-walk-to-honour-his-fallen-comrades
https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2051138&binId=1.1272429&playlistPageNum=1
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2051203