3-2-1 Heave Hutchinson! 

Jazmin Holdway, 
Marketing, Communications & Sponsorship Manager

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To boost morale and increase fundraising while having some cold water fun, units at CFB Esquimalt are competing to throw the Base Commander into the Esquimalt Harbour on Dec. 13.

Proudly presented by the National Defence Workplace Charitable Campaign (NDWCC) Team, the ‘Hutchinson Heave’ is a second-of-its-kind in a special base tradition. 

Captain (Navy) J. Jeffrey Hutchinson, current Base Commander at CFB Esquimalt, is carrying on in the spirit of the ‘Topshee Toss’ in 2019, when then-Commodore Angus Topshee, Commander of the Canadian Fleet Pacific, offered units the opportunity to throw him into the water if they raised enough money for the campaign that year.

“I challenge the MARPAC Defence Team to take the plunge and win the right to heave me in the harbour for this year’s NDWCC,” Capt(N) J. Jeffrey Hutchinson said.

The Unit that fundraises the most money by Dec. 8 will heave Capt(N) J. Jeffrey Hutchinson into the harbour at the small boats jetty at Naden on Dec. 13 at 10:30 a.m. The second place Unit will have the opportunity to heave Matt Carlson, CFB Esquimalt NDWCC Team Leader and Projects Officer with Base Executive Services, into the harbour. The opportunity is open, however, if the winning Unit has a person who would willingly accept and volunteer to take his place, arrangements can be made. The third place Unit will receive a gift basket courtesy of Recyclistas Bike Shop.

“The CFB Esquimalt campaign is about building awareness and is a reminder that we are stronger together,” Carlson said. “Our NDWCC provides Defence Team members with a direct line to donate via E-Pledge and numerous fundraising events on Base like the Hutchinson Heave and Bring your Dog to Work Day.”

On Dec. 8, NDWCC is also hosting its second Bring your Dog to Work Day at CFB Esquimalt and Virtual Pet Photo Contest, allowing Base members to show off their favourite furry family members while continuing to raise money for the campaign.

“For our NDWCC campaign this year, the focus is not about raising money since meaningful giving looks different for everyone, especially with the increased inflation many are dealing with,” says Carlson. “In saying this, we hope to raise as much money as possible, as we know, the more money we raise for this NDWCC, the more people can be supported through all the wonderful charities associated with this campaign.”

Money raised throughout this campaign supports over 87,000 charities of choice of the Defence Team members at every Base and Wing across the country. The Campaign provides Defence Team members with a direct line to donate to charities and numerous organizations with strong ties to Canada’s military, such as the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre.

The three winning Units for the Hutchinson Heave will be determined and announced by the CFB Esquimalt NDWCC Core Team on Friday, Dec. 9.

Members can donate to their Unit total through cash directly to an NDWCC Unit Ambassador or via E-Transfer to ndwcc.cfbesquimalt@gmail.com by Dec. 8. To ensure the amount is applied to the correct Unit, include Unit name and ‘Hutchinson Heave’ in the comments section.