Gander Heritage Memorial Park

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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

"Donations" page update as of November 24, 2014


We now have an updated Donations page and an updated Donations Progress Bar with an updated Ticker on the right. As of November 24 2014 we have achieved 80.1% of our target which amounts to $432,498 of our target total of $540,000. Thank you to all who have donated your time or financial aid ... much appreciated! The progress bar now depicts the percentage based on the new budget target.

On the Donations page I updated sections Corporate Donors, Small Business Donors and Individual Donors!

You will also notice that a number of Organizations have been moved from the Corporate Donors section to the Small Business section which includes Organizations.

to jump to the updated Donations page to view all updated sections.


PLEASE NOTE***
We now acknowledge donations made In memory of. The committee is looking at a plaque of some type to be permanently mounted at the Gander Heritage Memorial Park site acknowledging these individual donations. Both PayPal and the Town of Gander have no means of recording the donation made In memory of. If you want your name to appear as a donor In memory of on this website please email our Site Administrator Gerard at gerard.mccarthy.99@gmail.com or Committee Member Maxine at maxine@briggsaero.com and your donation will be recorded as such and will be shown as In memory of.

PLEASE NOTE***
If you don't want your name to appear as a donor on this website please email our Site Administrator Gerard at gerard.mccarthy.99@gmail.com or Committee Member Maxine at maxine@briggsaero.com and your donation will be shown as anonymous.

PLEASE NOTE***
You may purchase plaza stones by simply making your donation in the same manner as detailed on this website and then send a short email to Maxine maxine@briggsaero.com denoting that the donation is for the "purchase of paving stone(s)". Receipts for income tax purposes will be issued by the Town of Gander.

Gerard McCarthy / November 24, 2014


NOTE*** Your comments are welcomed!
However, all comments will be queued for review before being published and name=anonymous will be deleted unless your name is included at the end of your comment! This is to prevent spam, etc.
Before you click Publish your Comment please click on Name/URL and enter your full name. Don't forget the scrambled words - this is so automated spams cannot be dumped here!
Thank you. Gerard

Thursday, November 20, 2014

A Park Report for November 14 2014


A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS


If the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" then Carol's beautiful photos of the new Gander Heritage Memorial Park are worth millions. The Committee is extremely proud of the accomplishments this year and, although there is still more work to be done and more funds to raise, we wish again to recognize some very special people who have gotten us to where we are today.

  • To all our donors: individuals, businesses, service clubs and Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments: This would not have been possible without your generosity and support. Can you imagine the donations and gratuitous services to date total more than $430,000.00! If you haven't yet donated, we really need more funds to proceed with the next phase in Summer 2015. Remember us when you need those tax deductions!

  • Our gratuitous services donors and volunteer labourers, especially Bob Janes and Clyde Burt who spent many long hours at the site doing 'hard labour'; and the committee members and their spouses for saving our foliage by watering them morning and night during the hottest, driest July on record.

  • Rev. Wesley Oake for his bravery and dedication in Parachuting from an aircraft at 10000 ft. to support the Park. He has received pledges in excess of $20,000.00 and is still receiving donations! You may still pledge to Rev. Oake by following the "How to donate" section on this website's Donations page and send a short email to Treasurer Joy Janes rajanes@nf.sympatico.ca advising her your donation is for Rev. Oake.





On November 11th Rev. Oake was honoured with a certificate from the Knights of Columbus which reads in part: "An Expression of Grateful Appreciation for your Act of Service in Defense of Peoples Basic Rights to a life of Freedom and Dignity". Seen here in the photo below presenting the Certificate is Ed Blackmore of the Knights of Columbus, Gander.


Rev. Oake (L) accepting the Knights of Columbus certificate from
Ed Blackmore of the Knights of Columbus





We were so very fortunate to have hired Varrick Hillier as Site Foreman. If he was to follow the job description of Site Foreman we would not see so much accomplished nor such beauty. His attention to every detail including doing a lot of the manual labor himself and overcoming many adversities from weather, staffing problems, equipment and material delays, budget overruns, etc. etc. earned him the title of 'Superman'. On November 11th we presented him with a Superman hat to replace his hardhat. We are so very grateful to Varrick for going above and beyond and for following the specifications of the Park Architect Dr. Colleen Mercer-Clarke.


The Park Site Foreman Varrick Hillier





A HUGE Thank You to the Gander Shrine Club for their donation of $6500.00 to purchase four new flag poles. These photos show Eric Murray President of the Gander Shrine Club presenting the cheque to Treasurer Joy Janes and the shiny new flag poles installed at the Park in time for Remembrance Day. This makes a total of $21,500.00 in donations from the Gander Shrine Club. WOW!


The Park Treasurer Joy Janes accepting a cheque from Eric Murray President of the Gander Shrine Club and The Park flag poles





Diane Davis shared her beautiful photos of Remembrance Day Ceremonies and it should be noted that a record number of participants attended the ceremonies this year. I am sure this was in part due to recent tragic events in Ottawa and Quebec as well as those in Moncton earlier, however, I also feel many people gathered to see the Park as they had been seeing the progress as they passed by every day. Please take the time to see more of Diane's excellent photos and videos by clicking here to visit her website LAZYDAYSNL!


2014 November 11th Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Park in Gander!
Photo courtesy of LAZYDAYSNL and Diane Davis





For those who have purchased Plaza Stones, here is an excellent view of those beautiful Newfoundland granite stones. Also, the cross is temporarily placed on Sgt. Gander's granite base.


The Plaza Stones
Photo courtesy of LAZYDAYSNL and Diane Davis





The focal point and main objective of the Gander Heritage Memorial Park is the Monument to Sgt. Gander. Unfortunately the statues of Sgt. Gander and his soldier/handler could not be completed by this year's Remembrance Day Ceremonies but will be ready and installed early summer of 2015. Committee member Pat Brazil recently visited the Foundry and shared these photos with us. It is easy to see the 'larger-than-life' size of the monuments and also the detail involved in sculpting them. We are so looking forward to seeing the finished sculptures.


Pat with the statues of Sgt. Gander and Sgt. Gander's soldier/handler





Although WE think the Park is stunning, we would certainly appreciate hearing from you and ask that you post your comments and opinions on the website or you can email them to committee members Maxine Smith maxine@briggsaero.com or Carol Walsh carol.walsh@nf.sympatico.ca.




Maxine Smith / November 20, 2014


NOTE*** Your comments are welcomed!
However, all comments will be queued for review before being published and name=anonymous will be deleted unless your name is included at the end of your comment! This is to prevent spam, etc.
Before you click Publish your Comment please click on Name/URL and enter your full name. Don't forget the scrambled words - this is so automated spams cannot be dumped here!
Thank you. Gerard

Monday, November 17, 2014

Winged Victory's Ode of Remembrance


These photos are courtesy of Carol Walsh committee member of the Gander Heritage Memorial Park.


Ode of Remembrance


Winged Victory statue with its Ode of Remembrance plaque
on its Newfoundland granite base


Ode of Remembrance plaque



Act of Remembrance

             Acte du Souvenir

They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not worry them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.
             Ils ne vieilliront pas
comme nous, qui leur avons survécu.
Ils ne connaîtront jamais
l'outrage ni le poids des années.
Quand viendra l'heure du crépuscule
et celle de l'aurore,
nous nous souviendrons d'eux.



Carol Walsh / November 17, 2014


From Wikipedia ...

NOTE*** Your comments are welcomed!
However, all comments will be queued for review before being published and name=anonymous will be deleted unless your name is included at the end of your comment! This is to prevent spam, etc.
Before you click Publish your Comment please click on Name/URL and enter your full name. Don't forget the scrambled words - this is so automated spams cannot be dumped here!
Thank you. Gerard

Sunday, November 16, 2014

November 11 2014 Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Park


These photos are courtesy of Carol Walsh committee member of the Gander Heritage Memorial Park.


November 11 2014 Remembrance Day








Carol Walsh / November 16, 2014


NOTE*** Your comments are welcomed!
However, all comments will be queued for review before being published and name=anonymous will be deleted unless your name is included at the end of your comment! This is to prevent spam, etc.
Before you click Publish your Comment please click on Name/URL and enter your full name. Don't forget the scrambled words - this is so automated spams cannot be dumped here!
Thank you. Gerard

November 10 2014 Ready for Remembrance Day ceremonies at the Park


These photos are courtesy of Carol Walsh committee member of the Gander Heritage Memorial Park.


Ready and waiting for Remembrance Day













Carol Walsh / November 16, 2014


NOTE*** Your comments are welcomed!
However, all comments will be queued for review before being published and name=anonymous will be deleted unless your name is included at the end of your comment! This is to prevent spam, etc.
Before you click Publish your Comment please click on Name/URL and enter your full name. Don't forget the scrambled words - this is so automated spams cannot be dumped here!
Thank you. Gerard

Thursday, November 13, 2014

The United Church Observer publishes an article on Rev. Oake's skydiving


The article about Rev. Wesley Oake titled FEARLESS FUNDRAISER was written by Cory Ruf and published in the November 2014 edition of The United Church Observer magazine.

The Park committee members and I also worked with Caley Moore Senior Editor of the magazine's Editorial staff. Our sincere thanks to The Observer for telling Rev. Oake's fundraising story and to Caley for the PDF copy of the article.

Rev. Oake tandem skydived Saturday June 21 2014 at the Atlantic School of Skydiving in Cambridge NS in the Annapolis Valley as a fundraising event for the Gander Heritage Memorial Park project! He is the Patron of the Park, a retired United Church minister and a WW2 veteran ... he and his wife Myrtle reside in Gander.



FEARLESS FUNDRAISER
Article copy courtesy of Senior Editor Caley Moore



You can view this FEARLESS FUNDRAISER PDF in a new window by clicking on this pop-out icon or on the same icon in the upper right hand corner of the above preview.



Related Links ...

Rev. Oake Related Links ...

Rev. Wesley Oake, Honourary Patron for the Gander Memorial Heritage Park



Gerard McCarthy / November 13, 2014


NOTE*** Your comments are welcomed!
However, all comments will be queued for review before being published and name=anonymous will be deleted unless your name is included at the end of your comment! This is to prevent spam, etc.
Before you click Publish your Comment please click on Name/URL and enter your full name. Don't forget the scrambled words - this is so automated spams cannot be dumped here!
Thank you. Gerard