Essex and Kent Scottish announce fundraising campaign

The Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment is launching a $600,000 fundraising campaign to commemorate and honour the Regiment’s storied 200-year history.

The campaign will provide a permanent way to support the community initiatives that fall outside of the core government funding that covers operations and training. This

includes attending commemorative ceremonies overseas, erecting and maintaining monuments here and abroad, and outfitting the popular Pipes and Drums so they stand ready to attend local parades and commemorations, and digitize military archives for online public access.

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Michael Robin- son, a former commanding officer of the Regiment who is leading the campaign, said it is essential to ensure that the service and sacrifice of those who have contributed to the Essex and Kent Scottish be remembered for generations to come.

“This is a one-time ask, and we are looking to those who live in our community to help ensure these initiatives will always continue,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson. “Our goal is to get to a level that is sustainable, so we can plan further ahead and do things that are focused on our tradition, history, ceremony and community outreach, as well as monuments.”

The Essex Scottish Pipe Band parades over the Canal Bridge captured by the unit during the fighting in Groningen, Holland, on the 15th of April 1945, the day following the action that liberated the city during World War II.

Details about The Essex and Scottish campaign – and an outline of the opportunities and ways to show support through donations – can be found at www.servicesacrificeduty.ca

The Regiment’s contributions to freedom and the building of Canada are unparalleled. For more than 200 years, men and women of the Essex and Kent Scottish have boldly and proudly answered the call to service.

Local troops, first assembled in 1793, were engaged in key battles in the War of 1812 and both World Wars – including the ill-fated Dieppe Raid. Since then, the Regiment has remained active in conflicts and peacekeeping and peace-enforcing missions around the world, playing a vital role in advancing Canada’s foreign-policy initiatives.

Recent activity has also involved domestic operations. Severe weather and public health crises have tasked the Regiment and other Canadian reserve units with new and challenging support roles. From natural disaster relief to keeping seniors safe in a time of the pandemic, they remain ready to jump into action wherever they are needed.

“The Essex and Kent Scottish begins our fundraising campaign with our hearts focused on the enormous contributions of the men and women who have so selflessly contributed to the freedoms and opportunities that are part of our lives today,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson, who also chairs the Scottish Borderers Foundation, the official fundraising organization which supports the Regiment.

“The Regiment’s goal is to remain a pivotal inspiration for the future. We know in today’s world neither freedom nor peace should or can be taken for granted,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson. “We look forward to our local communities joining in this important campaign to honour and remember those who have done so much in the past to make our lives better for today and tomorrow, and those who will carry on this great tradition.”