School visit from Minister of Veterans Affairs, Orleans MP and OCDSB Trustee visiting Maple Ridge EF5/6
On Feb 12th, the EF5/6 class had the privilege of welcoming the Minister of Veterans Affairs Mme Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Orleans MP Mme Marie-France Lalonde and our OCDSB Trustee Mrs Donna Dickson to make valentine cards for our veterans. The valentines were distributed at the Pearly Health Center for Veterans on Feb 14th.
Each year, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) invites Canadian schools, individuals and organizations to make Valentines for Vets. VAC then distributes the valentines to Veterans in long-term care facilities across the country by February 14.
Valentines for Vets began in 1989 when the late newspaper columnist, Ann Landers, encouraged her readers to create special valentines for Veterans in care facilities throughout Canada and the United States. Every year, Landers' special "Valentines for Vets" column asked her readers to remember the sacrifices of their nations' Veterans by making them personal hand-crafted valentines.
VAC became involved with the program in 1996, and has been receiving and distributing valentines to Veterans in care facilities across the country ever since.