Inaugural Gala Dinner to announce plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge

General (ret'd) Rick Hillier and former Premier of Ontario Mike Harris, co-chairs

TORONTO, April 22, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The countdown to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canada's defining moment of the First World War, will be marked at the inaugural Vimy Foundation Gala Dinner tonight at the Four Seasons Hotel. Event co-chairs General (ret'd) Rick Hillier and former Premier of Ontario Mike Harris will welcome more than 250 business leaders, veterans, educators and supporters to help raise awareness and announce plans of the centennial commemorations set for 2017.

"We are thrilled that Canadians continue to embrace the Vimy Foundation's education and awareness programs. This event is no ordinary fundraiser. It will ensure that the Vimy legacy of national unity, sacrifice, innovation, and victory  are never lost. The proceeds from tonight's gala will go towards the construction of the new education centre in Vimy, and I am confident that the gala will ignite pride and support for this initiative." said Christopher Sweeney, Chair of the Vimy 2017 Committee.

Other special guests including the Hon Jim Flaherty (Federal Minister of Finance), Hon Jason Kenney (Federal Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism), Hon Yasir Naqvi (Ontario Minister of Labour), Eric O'Toole (MP, Durham), and renowned Canadian military historian Jack Granatstein will help unveil plans for the centennial commemorations including the building of the state of the art Education Centre to open in Vimy, France in 2017. The Government of Canada, through Veterans Affairs Canada, has already contributed $5 million to the project.

At Vimy Ridge, 96 years ago, 100,000 Canadians soldiers gathered for the first time as a united fighting force. Commanded in part by Canadian officers, they achieved the unachievable and took one of the most heavily defended German positions of the entire Western front. It is said by many historians that at Vimy Ridge Canada emerged from a colony to become a nation. It was not simply a battle - it was Canada's coming of age.

About the Vimy Foundation
The Vimy Foundation is a registered charity founded in 2006. The mission of the Vimy Foundation is to preserve and promote Canada's First World War legacy as symbolized with the victory of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917, a milestone when Canada came of age and was then recognized on the world stage.

Inspired by those events, the Foundation created the Beaverbrook Vimy Prize, which brings together youth from Canada, the United Kingdom, and France in an effort to give them a better appreciation of their interwoven histories. As well, the foundation has introduced the Vimy Pilgrimage Award, where youth from across the country are given the opportunity to visit memorial sites in Europe. To learn more, visit www.vimyfoundation.ca.

A few tickets are still available by contacting Bassett Events at [phone] or [email protected].

SOURCE: VIMY FOUNDATION

For media inquiries:
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