One of the Important Values in Our 2011 Strategic Plan Was “We Expect

First Annual Rivermead Charity Golf Tournament -- September 15, 2011

One of the important values in our 2011 Strategic Plan was “We expect our club to be a strong community supporter,” and our fifth Strategic Priority for 2011 was “To become more engaged in our community”. Since the Annual General Meeting, the Board has been considering ways for us to fulfill those elements of our Strategic Plan.

Today, Rivermead is pleased to announce that we will be conducting our First Annual Rivermead Charity Golf Tournament on September 15, 2011. This will be our club’s own charity tournament that we run and control. The chosen charity will receive additional support from Rivermead, beyond what we normally do when a charity pays to use our facility to host their event.

In selecting a charity, we looked for a cause that the whole club could be really excited about and would bring some great exposure to our club.

The 2011 event will be in support of the Guild of the Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD). The RCD home base of Petawawa is the closest Canadian Army regiment to the National Capital Region. General Rick Hillier (ret.), former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces, will be the tournament host and will provide a keynote speech on leadership during the dinner. The tournament will be held, exceptionally, on a Thursday, because it is the only date in September when General Hillier is available.

The Royal Canadian Dragoons have taken part in virtually every major military campaign in which the Canadian Army has participated overseas. Since 2003, its troops have been an integral part of Canada’s contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. More than 8,000 soldiers have been deployed to Afghanistan from Petawawa over the course of the Canadian mission. Twelve RCD soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, and the RCD are still helping with the recovery of 87 of their wounded soldiers who have returned from Afghanistan.

How can Rivermead members help? Members can participate by:  Purchasing a Corporate Foursome or Gold Sponsorship Foursome for the event  Purchasing a hole sponsorship ($200) to display their name or company logo at a hole  Signing up as a tournament volunteer (registration, hospitality)  Attending the Military Equipment display and donating money to the Guild of the Royal Canadian Dragoons For more information on the tournament, please go to the Rivermead website or contact Robert Mackay at [email protected].

Charity Overview The Guild of the Royal Canadian Dragoons is a unique partnership that supports Canada’s senior armoured regiment and its families. It recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, as well as the hardships of military service, by meeting a humanitarian need that goes beyond that normally provided by the Government of Canada. It also undertakes a number of other important projects that assists in the ongoing life of the Regiment.

Supporting a Legacy of Service The Guild of the Royal Canadian Dragoons is a private, volunteer, non-profit corporation that was established to provide assistance to the regiment, its members and their families in ways that might not otherwise be available

1 through government funding. As a recognized Canadian charity, it renders this support without any expectation of repayment on the part of those it helps. Over the past several years, a particular focus of the Guild’s work has revolved around Canada’s prolonged engagement in Afghanistan. Many of the regiment’s men and woman are now facing personal, family and social difficulties, including separation stress, injury and even death. In the last case, the trauma and shock to those left behind when a soldier is killed can never be adequately described, particularly when the loss comes so suddenly for a vibrant, fit soldier. However, due to recent advances in medical science, many soldiers are also now surviving injuries that were not survivable in past wars. This has lead to extended hospital stays and months, if not years, of recovery and rehabilitation. Yet, few families are prepared to deal with the personal, family and financial disruptions associated with having to leave home in order to be with their loved one through such an ordeal. Even for those families of soldiers who are not hurt, a single parent must face the daunting task of running a household and raising children alone. For these reasons, The Guild has introduced the following special programs:

 Hospital Comfort Kits are sent to soldiers admitted to medical facilities to provide for their basic clothing, hygiene and comfort needs. The current focus for these kits is the soldier stationed overseas or on extended deployments. The goal is to ensure that our troops are afforded amenities not covered by the Canadian government but that our troops deserve and require while in the hospital.  Operation Voices and Love is one way to brighten the life of children of military parents who are deployed, by giving each child a stuffed Regimental bear. The bears are dressed in uniform complete with black beret and cap badge, and are equipped with a recording device so that the parent can leave a personal message to his or her child.  The Benevolent Fund provides for the well-being of the immediate family of injured and deceased soldiers. It ensures that every possible support is afforded to the family during recovery or as they say goodbye to their loved ones with dignity, and adjust to their new lives.  The Leliefontein Memorial Bursary Fund provides grants to soldiers and their descendants to pursue post-secondary education.

Today, it is more important than ever to pay tribute to those who have served and sacrificed for our country. Honouring our military heritage is a vital reminder to all Canadians, as well as the citizens of those countries whose rights and liberties we have defended, that our soldiers have often paid the ultimate price for our collective freedom. To that end, the Guild has initiated its Unity and Heritage Programs, including:

 The Memorial/Monument Upkeep Program is dedicated to ensuring that monuments and memorials of the Regiment around the world are properly maintained with the dignity and professional look that they deserve. The Guild also dedicates new memorials to honour those Dragoons who have contributed so much to what the Regiment is today.  The Ceremonial Guard is a proud component of the Regiment’s history, having been the first professional musical ride in Canada. It is also a distinguished part of RCD history, having escorted royalty and welcomed foreign heads of state. The Guild is dedicated to maintaining this crucial link to our history.  Royal Canadian Dragoon Museums allow for continual upgrade and maintenance of Regimental historical items displayed there.  Archives and Collections activities allow for the purchase, cataloguing, maintenance, preservation and enhancement of the Regimental collection of artefacts.

As you can see, this is a very important cause for Rivermead to support, and the money raised will make a significant impact on the families of RCD soldiers.

The RCD are committed to making this a great day for all the participants in the tournament and for Rivermead members. On tournament day, the RCD will display a number of military vehicles and weapon displays throughout the course for participants and members to see and, in some cases, sit in. Soldiers will be stationed with each display to provide more information and/or tours. The displays will include:  The Coyote Reconnaissance vehicle is a light armoured fighting vehicle with the 25mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun and two 7.62 C6 general purpose machine guns. The Coyote comes in three variants: Command, Mast and Remote. The mast and remote variants contain sophisticated surveillance equipment, including radar, video, night vision and infrared capabilities.  The LAV III LORIT is a modification of the existing LAV III that provides better crew protection against improvised explosive devices. Changes incorporated into these vehicles include additional blast armour along the vehicles’ belly and shields for the turret crew and air sentries.  The Leopard C2 tank is armed with a 105mm main gun, and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 to provide direct fire support to Canadian Battle Groups. The Leopard C2 is currently being phased out by its replacement the Leopard 2 but will remain in service as a training platform in Canada.  The Ferret Scout car is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. Fast and rugged, the Ferret was used by the Royal Canadian Dragoons from the 1950s to the 1980s, at home and abroad on operations.  The Staghound is an American armoured car produced during the Second World War. Supplied extensively to British and Commonwealth forces, it was used by the Royal Canadian Dragoons in both the Italian and European theatres and was armed with a 37mm gun and .30 cal machine gun. C Squadron RCD (crewing Staghounds) led the Regiment on the morning of April 15, 1945, as they pushed forward behind the fleeing Germans to secure the provincial capital city of Leeuwarden in the Dutch province of Friesland.

For more information on the tournament, please go to the Rivermead website or contact Robert Mackay at [email protected].