2015 in Review

Well, it’s that time of year again … the beginning! New calendar, new resolutions (for some of us), new activities … and, with the change in weather, it’s very much a new season. Most “news” come with a touch of the old, and, so, while we welcome this new year and embrace the fresh opportunities it brings, we can’t help but reflect on the year that has just come to a close. And what a busy year it was! Let’s review!

Support the Troops Hockey Game

We kicked off the year alongside the Charlottetown Islanders as they hosted their annual Support the Troops hockey game. Always a fun time. (Pst: This year’s Support the Troops game is this Friday, so get your tickets!)

Strategic Planning Session

To begin our second full year in PEI, we hosted a strategic planning session for staff, stakeholders, and community members to gather input, prioritize, and facilitate discussion regarding issues important to our Island military families.

WR3

April saw many folk donning red and lacing up their sneakers to run in our annual Wear Red Road Race to raise money for Island military families. Many thanks to all who came out (both runners and cheerleaders!), and to the Running Room in Charlottetown for helping to organize and manage the event.

 

AGM Kitchen Party

We decided to turn our AGM into a big, fun kitchen party. Richard Wood kindly accepted our invitation to entertain us, and entertain he did! Great way to mix a little bit of business with a whole lot of fun.

Welcome Charlie A. Foxtrot

2015 saw us welcome a new staff member: a big, fuzzy fox who came to us without a name. Since we couldn’t decide on the perfect name for this critter, we asked the public to help. We had close to 40 names submitted, and, in the end, we chose Charlie A. Foxtrot (CAF) to honour our troops. Charlie has been a welcome addition to the team, and we’re excited to bring him along on all our adventures this year.

Tip-to-Tip Tour

Once the school bags had been thrown in the closet and were traded in for baseball gloves, swim suits, and shorts, we hit the road. Who wants to stick around the office during the summer? Our most favourite part of our job is meeting people, and Islanders, especially, do not stay in stuffy offices once the sun makes an appearance. The summer saw us travelling around the Island talking to as many people as we could. We got to participate in community festivals, the Gold Cup and Saucer race, and the Summerside Air Show. And, of course, Charlie A. Foxtrot came along. We can’t wait to start planning this year’s tour!

National Peacekeeping Day

In August, we recognized and honoured all those who serve (and who have served) in peacekeeping operations around the world. The service, which was held at the Service Fountain, included a wreath-laying ceremony for three Islander soldiers who died in UN Peacekeeping: RCMP C/Supr Douglas Coates and Sgt Mark Gallagher (killed in peacekeeping), and fireman, Mr. Mike Gallant, killed on his way home from a “first-responder” incident.

Virtual Sessions Launched

We were thrilled to bring more programs and services to Island military families—regardless of their posting location—virtually! With the help of our Virtual Program Coordinator, Margaret Mackenize, we’ve been able to offer all kinds of interactive sessions including PTSD, CF1 Appreciation and other military discounts, scholarships, and budgeting. We look forward to all the opportunities 2016 will bring in this area. Check our events calendar to see upcoming sessions!

Guest Visitors

PEI saw the arrival of two very important visitors this year. In the summer, David Paradis rode his motorcycle, which he built himself, across Canada to raise funds for Soldier On as he promoted public awareness of and support for ill and injured veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces. We were honoured to welcome him when he arrived in PEI. Also, this fall, we eagerly followed the progress and arrival of Paul Nichols, his wife Terry, and his horse Zoe (as well as team members and supporters), who were riding across Canada to raise funds and awareness of PTSD and to educate Canadians about problems facing today’s veterans. Paul and his team spent a few days in PEI, allowing for many opportunities for Islanders to meet this amazing team.

 

 

Holiday Family Party

Most recently, we gathered our Island military families together to celebrate the holiday season. And what better way to celebrate than with a bouncy castle, some mini putt, arts & crafts, cotton candy, carnival games, popcorn, pizza, and a visit from Santa himself! It was truly wonderful to see the joy on all the children’s faces, and we thank all our military families for attending. Special thanks, as always, to our amazing volunteers for helping to make this event happen.

Coffee Socials

We continued hosting monthly coffee socials, rotating the location from our office to PEIR to HMCS Queen Charlotte. These take place the second Tuesday of the month (10-11AM), and anyone is welcome to join. Our next one takes place on January 12 at HMCS Queen Charlotte.

And there you have it! 2015 was filled with all kinds of exciting opportunities. When you sit back and really take inventory of all that we did with our little staff of four … well, we’re pretty amazed, to be honest. We couldn’t have done any of the things we did without our helpful Board of Directors, our hard-working team of volunteers, and, of course, our always amazing Island military families.

Here’s to another great year!