The HeroToHero.US and Hero To Hero Team Canada Troop Morale Campaign is first responders giving the shirts off their backs to show their non-political support for our deployed troops.

NO Politics ~ NO Pro/Antiwar Stances ~ NO Borders to our Allies

“The mission of HeroToHero.US and Hero To Hero Team Canada is to be a conduit between Heroes, past and present, be they Firefighter, Law Enforcement, or Military.  We support their missions, their morale, and the loved ones most impacted by their sacrifices."

 

This is a true team effort.  There is no room in this effort for self-promotion. This is about & for the troops.

Welcome to the new Hero To Hero Team Canada website. Back in September of 2005 when I met Liz Jackson, the Founder and Director of HeroToHero.US at the International Association of Firefighters Memorial in Colorado Springs, I had never heard of this Troop Morale Campaign.

She filled me in pretty quickly.  She has a knack for feeling a fish on the line.  It didn't take much to reel me into this program hook, line, and sinker, as they say.

Like most people, I wanted to do something to show support for our troops but wasn't sure what to do. Then I met Liz.

I also happened to be working with Jason Bosker one of Sarnia Fire Rescue's newest recruits at the time who had come to SFRS after 15 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. He had been deployed to Kosovo and Croatia for 3 rotations during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. He served during a period where support for our Armed Forces was lacking on many fronts.

When I returned to work after the Memorial I asked Jason what he thought of the idea of First Responders giving the worn shirts off their backs to our soldiers. Actually the way I put it to him was ... "Would you have given a rats A** if some firefighter or cop had sent you his used t-shirt when you were deployed?"  Without hesitation, as his eyes began to gloss over he told me that if anyone had sent him a Labatts Blue bottle cap it would have made his day because it was from home and someone had taken the time to send it to him.

That was the defining moment in bringing the HeroToHero.US program to Canada ... our humble beginning.

Now three years later, we have just shipped out our third batch of T-shirts from First Responders across Canada and we have now grown to the point where Liz has encouraged us to set up this new Canadian Hero To Hero Team Canada website.

In March 2007 (our first effort) we shipped 228 shirts to deployed troops. In April 2008 we shipped over 1200 shirts. Between March & July 2009 we shipped 2200 shirts and 450 hats.

You will find lots of info within the website about how the program works and what you can do to participate.  We will also keep you apprised of other things that people are doing to support our troops. We'll provide links to other troop support and First Responder organizations. We will keep the site fresh and up to date once we get up to speed. Feel free to send ideas. Expect lots of photos of everything we do.

Stay tuned and watch us grow!

Kevin McHarg

Hero To Hero Team Canada