Our objective is to bring to the attention of your readers a very worthwhile cause Royal Canadian Legion branches throughout Alta-NWT Command are actively supporting, namely the ìBuilding Bridges, The Outward Bound Veterans Program.îThis program was developed in Canada in 2009, with the Phase 1 pilot being launched by Alta-NWT Command on Jan. 29, 2010. During the 2010 fundraising campaign, branches and ladies auxiliaries raised $226,464. Our hope for the 2011 campaign, which ends on Feb. 19, is to increase that amount to $250,000, so that Phase 2 can be expanded.The purpose of the program, operated by Veterans for Veterans, is to offer fully funded courses in the outdoors that support Canadian military veterans. It assists them to address their transition challenges into civilian life and achieve their greatest potential. Three six-day courses were offered in Phase 1. Each course included physical challenges at various skill levels, team building, one-on-one exchanges and time to share.Participants ranged in age from 27 to 58, with more than half of them having served in Afghanistan. They spoke of the difficulties in dealing with current day-to-day stress, the challenge of addressing and overcoming life experiences such as addictions, OSI, PTSD, attempted suicide, physical and mental scars, transferring their skills back into civilian life, loss of friends and family, low self-esteem and an overwhelming sense of loneliness.The testimonials of the participants speak to the success of the program, how our forgotten veterans have benefited from it. The following quotes are from some of the program participants.ï ìFor me this course has truly been a life-changing experience. I found part of the person I used to be and know that this experience will live with me for the rest of my life.îï ìAmazing life-changing experience that allowed me to find part of the strong person I used to be again.îï ìMore than worthwhile. I got what I needed because my life is a little bit of a mess.îAt Olds Branch #105, we have now launched our campaign ìHands Across Alta-NWTî and hope to receive much needed support from the community. There are several ways this can be done.ï Purchase a program golf shirt which costs $35.ï Submit a donation by mail to our branch, payable to Alta-NWT Command.ï Visit our branch and make a donation to the Program Jar located at the front desk.For each contribution, your name, if you so choose, shall be placed on a paper hand and displayed in the lounge.If you know of a veteran who could benefit from the program, details on how to become a participant are available at www.abnwtlegion.com.We also recommend a visit to the branch where more details of the program are available.We thank you for your support and look forward to a successful campaign.Linda AndersonSheryl CunninghamProvincial Command Committee
