So far in the war in Afghanistan, 156 Canadian soldiers, sailors and air crew have lost their lives while serving. To honor both they and those still serving in the country, artist Dave Sopha has spent over 8,000 hours painting the Portraits of Honour, a 10' x 40' oil painted mural of all those who have lost their lives. The Portraits of Honour National Tour, conducted by Kin Canada, will see that tribute visit over 100 stops around the country, and it will be in Yorkton on August 23.
While in Yorkton, the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs will host two events to help raise awareness and funds for Canadian military families. The first will be a barbecue in Western Financial City Centre Park, which will start at 10 a.m. There will also be an Honour the Troops Evening at the Gallagher Centre Curling Rink. Ron Hanishewsky with the Kinsmen says they also plan to have Support Our Troops ribbons in businesses in the lead up to the event.
Hanishewsky says that the day will be spent honouring those who have served, and he expects to see the local people who have served in Afghanistan and some families who have lost loved ones to the war in attendance.
"We want them to get involved and let them know how much we really appreciate what they're doing. There are a lot more from here than I think people realize who have gone to Afghanistan."
The artist will also be on hand to share his stories of the people he has met during the creation of the mural and in the tours since.
Hanishewsky says that he has been fortunate enough to see the mural in person, and while one can easily find images online, it has much greater impact when one sees the full scale.
"When some of these military personnel get in front of it you're going to see a lot of emotion."
Getting people aware of the current war and those lost in it is one of the motivations behind the tour. Hanishewsky says that the current war in Afghanistan is something young people need to be aware is happening now.
"This is the war of our generation, the younger generation. For kids, they hear about the second world war, but it was 60 years ago... This makes a bit of a connection to today's generation," he notes.
The tour stop in Yorkton is a chance to see the mural for not only people in the city, but also for the surrounding area, Hanishewsky adds. He says it's good to see people from the eastern part of the province along with western Manitoba have a stop to visit as the mural travels across the country.
The funds raised will go to the Military Families Funds, which helps military families who have unforseen and immediate needs that have resulted from the conditions of service. Hanishewsky says they hope to raise $25,000 for the city of Yorkton.
