Hero to Hero Canada Sends Shirts and Hats Overseas

March 23, 2009 – From Kamloops, British Columbia, to Kennebecasis Valley, New Brunswick, Canadian emergency service personnel donated 2,000 shirts off their backs and 450 hats off their heads to send to Canadian troops overseas.

Sarnia, ON Local 492 member Kevin McHarg has been organizing the Canadian Hero to Hero program since it began three years ago. “It has been extremely gratifying to watch this program grow,” says McHarg, a 28-year veteran fire fighter. “We shipped 228 shirts in 2007 and 1,200 shirts in 2008. And, we nearly doubled last year’s number this year.”

McHarg attributes most of Hero to Hero Canada’s popularity to word of mouth, the T-shirt collection tour and special speaking engagements, such as the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Convention.

When T-shirt totals were counted, it was clear that London, Ontario, emergency service personnel had gone above and beyond for Hero to Hero. “All eight emergency service agencies, including ours, made a special shirt with all of our logos on it,” says Jim Holmes, president of London Local 142. “All personnel were encouraged to buy two shirts – one to keep and one to send. As a result, 500 shirts are being sent to the troops.”

To show its appreciation to the efforts in London, Hero to Hero Canada held a “Packout 2009” in London – when shirts and hats are boxed up and readied for shipment.

When the original facility for the packout canceled just days before the event, London fire fighters immediately stepped up to the plate.

“I contacted our fire chief to explain the situation, and he agreed to let us have the packout at department headquarters,” says Holmes. “It all came together quickly with lots of apparatus from the various emergency service agencies and several big tables for packing. There was even a fair amount of media coverage.”

With all of the shirts and hats packed up, the packages will be shipped in two separate shipments. “Through some special connections, we have arranged for about half of the boxes to be shipped already,” says McHarg. “We expect the rest to be shipped within the next month.”

Hero to Hero began in the United States nearly six years ago as a way to boost morale for troops overseas. Emergency service personnel T-shirts are collected from hometowns across the country and sent to the troops overseas. The goal is to get T-shirts to service men and women from the same hometown.

Three years ago, the popularity of the program spread north to Canada. Click here to learn more about the Canadian program.