Chartwell donates $15,000 to War Amps – Operation Legacy

[Barrie, ON] -  Chartwell Seniors Housing presented a $15,000 cheque to the War Amps – Operation Legacy yesterday in Barrie, Ontario. The event took place at Chartwell’s Barrington Retirement Residence, where guests included WWII veteran, Fredrick Short Andrews, a current resident at the Barrington, James Jordan, Operation Legacy Representative and Sharon Henderson, VP of Communication and Public Affairs at Chartwell.  

The donation came from the sale of a 2010 book entitledHONOUR, a company-wide effort to commemorate the 65^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The book contained the stories of 35 quiet heroes living in Chartwell homes across Canada who were veterans or helped to support the war effort. All net proceeds of the book are donated to Canadian organization committed to the remembrance of Canada’s veterans. Over 5,000 books have been sold since 2010.  

Mr. Andrews was one of 35 veterans whose photo and story were featured in the book. In 1944, he picked a poppy while walking through Normandy’s Flanders Fields, preserved it in the wax paper from his daily ration and mailed it to his mother. He still has the poppy, in its original covering, today.

“I am honoured and grateful to accept this cheque today on behalf of The War Amps Operation Legacy,” said Jordan. “We share a common goal with Chartwell, that of ensuring that these remarkable stories are preserved for future generations.”

This past year, Chartwell released a documentary entitled HONOUR: Their stories, Our History, which showcased first-hand interviews of WWII veterans. The humble but moving interviews were recorded as part of the making of the 2010 book. The documentary carries a timely and poignant message for all Canadians about the sometimes ordinary, and often extraordinary, reminiscences of these individuals and how close we are to losing this piece of history.

“The War Amps – Operation Legacy was a natural choice for this donation because they closely align with Chartwell’s goal of commemorating the stories of our aging veterans,” said Henderson. “We want veterans to know that their sacrifices will not be forgotten and their legacy will live on in future generations.”

HONOUR is available through www.chartwell.com or at Chartwell homes across Canada. To view the documentary trailer on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/ChartwellREIT.  

*Additional photos of the cheque presentation are available upon request.  

About Chartwell: Chartwell Seniors Housing owns and operates seniors housing communities across Canada, from independent supportive living and assisted living to long-term care.  It is the largest participant in the seniors housing business in Canada.

To obtain additional information about a press release or to coordinate a media interview with a representative of Chartwell Seniors Housing REIT, please contact:

Sharon Henderson

Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs

905-501-4869 office / 647-302-6117 mobile

shenderson@chartwellreit.ca