Operation Raise a Flag celebrates 10 years
For the past nine years, on the morning of November 11, the war veterans who call the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre their home have awakened to a sea of flags planted in their honour to thank them for their wartime sacrifices. This tribute is the result of the work of hundreds of volunteers who gather the day before to show these heroes they have not been forgotten.
The Veterans Centre is home to 375 veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Cold War. It’s a cherished legacy of Sunnybrook’s founding in 1948 as a hospital for wounded Canadians who served during WWII. The mission of the Veterans Centre is to assist each and every resident to achieve their best possible life experience while they are at Sunnybrook.
Over the years, Operation Raise a Flag has generated over $677,000 in donations. Funds raised help the Sunnybrook Veterans Centre provide the very best cognitive, physical, and mental health care to Canadian veterans along with special extras like family outings, theatre tickets and favourite foods.
Due to ongoing safety precautions required with the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the public won’t be planting flags this year. However, a determined group of Sunnybrook hospital staff and Canadian military personnel have devised a safety protocol that will allow them to take on the task and ensure Operation Raise a Flag continues to delight and honour our veterans.
