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Bracebridge native helps give back to Canadian heroes

by Allyson SnellingA civilian charity supporting military per-

sonnel and their families has awarded its first scholarship in the amount of $10,000.

The Canadian Hero Fund, a registered charity dedicated to raising money for families of fallen soldiers through community, grass-roots efforts, was founded by a team of university stu-dents including Bracebridge native Alan Fraser.

Fraser, who graduated from the University of Toronto in 2008 with an honours BA in history and political science, believes organ-izations are needed to support those who serve selflessly on our behalf.

“There are other organizations out there that support firefighters and police officers, so we’re there to support Canadian Forces families, and to offer the public a chance to give back,” Fraser said in a previous inter-view.

Now a law student at the University of Edinburgh, Fraser attributes his personal inspiration to do what he could to help mil-itary families to his grandfather, a veteran who fought at Juno Beach and played a pivot-al role in Fraser’s upbringing.

At a recent press conference, the Canadian

Hero Fund announced the allocation of its first post-secondary scholarship to the child of a fallen Canadian Forces member.

The scholarship for $10,000 was awarded to a Matthew Mellish who is currently pursu-ing undergraduate studies at the University of New Brunswick. He is the son of Warrant Officer Frank Mellish, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2006.

The Canadian Hero Fund has also started a new initiative called “11 for 11” and a fund-raising commercial featuring The Trews’ song Highway of Heroes and the voice of Canadian actor/producer Paul Gross.

The initiative is bringing the relevance of Remembrance Day to Canadians, and Canadian youth specifically.

Individuals are encouraged to take up a goal or show support for Canadian Forces members and their families by incorporating the number 11 into their activity of support or fundraising.

Proponents of the Canadian Hero Fund are asking Canadians to donate $11 toward the scholarship fund for the children of fallen Canadians.

Businesses are encouraged to pledge $11 or 11 per cent per sale over a discretionary period during the campaign, which runs for the entire month of November.

The 11 for 11 campaign is off to a great start, and has raised $21,000 to date.

To learn more about 11 for 11 and to watch the new commercial, visit www.11for11.ca.

More information on the Canadian Hero Fund is available at www.hero fund.ca.

FRASER

Canadian Hero Fund announces its fi rst $10,000 bursary recipient

SANTA ARRIVES. Santa Claus makes his first appearance in the busy Muskoka parade season in the Bala Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 13. (Photo by Karen Longwell)