The McCann Family Foundation, the Calgary Poppy Fund and the Field of Crosses Memorial Project’s volunteer board of directors wishes to welcome Calgarians to the annual Field of Crosses Memorial Project.
“A yearly tribute to Southern Alberta’s fallen soldiers”
In conjunction with the Calgary Poppy Fund fundraising initiative
WireService.ca Press Release – 10/28/2013: Calgary, Alberta: The McCann Family Foundation, the Calgary Poppy Fund and the Field of Crosses Memorial Project’s volunteer board of directors wishes to welcome Calgarians to the annual Field of Crosses Memorial Project. Starting November 1st to November 11th; over 3,000 crosses are being displayed on a 5 acre city park in military cemetery formation to memorialize Southern Alberta soldiers who were killed in action. (Memorial Drive between 3rd Street NW and Centre Street)
Each cross is inscribed with the name, age at death, rank, regiment and date of death of a soldier who lost his or her life in a foreign land, fighting for the freedoms we all enjoy today. Members of the public are welcome to visit the site, to walk among the crosses, to lay flowers at a loved one’s memorial and to be reminded that the price of our freedom was not free. . . . . . . . “When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.”
“It is the soldier, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble. It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the soldier, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.” stated Murray McCann; Chairman and Founder of the Field of Crosses Memorial Project.
Since 2009 the Field of Crosses Memorial Project has been taking place on Memorial Drive NW between 3rd Street NW and Centre Street, in Calgary; Alberta. It is estimated that more than 3,000 Southern Alberta men and women have been killed while serving in the Canadian military in combat or peace keeping missions. The number of crosses has increased each year as more research identifies more names. The annual display is a visual reminder of the large number of local soldiers who gave up all their tomorrows so that we can have ours. “The Field of Crosses Memorial Project holds a special place in my heart, as my son was killed in Afghanistan in 2007, and this is a way our family can pay tribute to him and the thousands of others that served the ultimate sacrifice.” stated Michael Hornburg, father of Nathan Hornburg who was killed during operations in Afghanistan.
Annually the Field of Crosses project includes special guests, government dignitaries as well as the public who are invited to participate in the sunrise flag raising ceremonies and sunset flag lowering ceremonies. The Field of Crosses project also includes a number of families who have lost loved ones in war and or peacekeeping missions.
The funding of this project is an initiative of the McCann Family Foundation and no costs are borne by the Calgary Poppy Fund.