BRACEBRIDGE — A new civilian charity supporting military personnel and their families has a local face behind it.
Bracebridge native Alan Fraser is part of a team of university students who founded the Canadian Hero Fund, a registered charity dedicated to raising money for families of fallen soldiers through community, grassroots efforts.
Fraser, who graduated from the University of Toronto in 2008 with an Honours BA in history and political science, believes organizations are needed to support those who serve selflessly on the public’s 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.
The 23-year-old said his grandfather, a war veteran who fought at Juno Beach and played a pivotal role in Fraser’s upbringing, inspired him to try to help military families.
“I was always proud that he put his life on the line and that inspired me to help make a difference and take a chance to do something good,” he said.
Fraser has also been watching the rising death toll in Afghanistan and struggled with the fact that young men and women are dying and are leaving behind young families.
The Canadian Hero Fund has been modelled after Help for Heroes in the United Kingdom. It has received support and guidance from high-profile politicians like Bill Graham and Michael Wilson, former Canadian ambassador to the United States.
To date, the fund has established a network of Canadians from across the country, through social mediums like Facebook and Twitter.
Fraser said the Canadian Hero Fund is now accepting donations after receiving its charitable status last year.
A number of community fundraisers have been held in Canada including Hot Chocolate for Heroes in Toronto and Halifax, which raised a combined $1,100. Weston Premium Woods in Brampton raised $2,600 for the fund in honour of Remembrance Day, while a recent $3,000 donation came from Bowmanville.
A kickboxing event is planned in Peterborough this month with a portion of the proceeds going to the fund.
Fraser hopes there is interest in holding a hero fund fundraiser in Muskoka and encourages anyone interested in helping out to contact him by email at alan@herofund.ca.
“We’ve already raised $15,000,” he said. “Ultimately, our goal is to raise $2.5 million over five years, which will go to support scholarships for the children and spouses of fallen servicemen and women.”
The fund also supports spousal retraining through post-secondary education. Scholarship applications will be received from family members of fallen soldiers through the organization’s website www.herofund.ca and be reviewed by a committee.
The intent, Fraser said, is to provide a scholarship that covers the costs of post-secondary education.
The Canadian Hero Fund’s motto “Keeping Their Dreams Alive” stands for the dreams of the families and children that are sustained through Canadian Hero Fund support programs, as well as the dreams of fallen soldiers who wanted more for future generations.