HMCS Calgary & NRU Asterix Volunteer in Vietnam

Crewmembers of HMCS Calgary entertained the children of a school and orphanage in Da Nang Vietnam while simultaneously helping to improve both sites with help from the Boomer’s Legacy Foundation.

Crewmembers of HMCS Calgary entertained the children of a school and orphanage in Da Nang Vietnam while simultaneously helping to improve both sites with help from the Boomer’s Legacy Foundation.

After a couple of months at sea, HMCS Calgary and Naval Replenishment Unit (NRU) Asterix volunteered their time while alongside in Da Nang, Vietnam. The crew helped out a school and an orphanage in need, namely the Children Affected by Agent Orange and Da Nang Specialized Future School (for children with disabilities).

Volunteer work is often conducted by deployed ships, such as during HMCS Vancouver’s recent deployment on Operation Projection.

In all, 24 volunteers visited the Children Affected by Agent Orange, 50 children and young adults aged from 10-25 greeted the sailors. There volunteers painted and provided building material to upgrade the facility with the help of the Boomer’s Legacy Foundation.

At the Da Nang Specialized Future School, an orphanage housing 50 children aged 7-15, a separate group of 36 volunteer sailors helped paint and improve the school, while some sailors entertained the children.

At both sites, representatives from the Canadian Embassy gave gifts to the children, such as packs of balloons, soccer balls, coloring books, crayon boxes, and hats.

The crew from Calgary and Asterix handed out numerous stuffed animals, toys, soccer balls, basketballs, books, crayons, blankets, and mattresses. All items were contributed through the Boomer’s Legacy Foundation.

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Boomer’s Legacy began when Corporal Andrew “Boomer” Eykelenboom, a Medical Technician, was killed in action by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in 2006.  Andrew spent his free time in Afghanistan helping those in need and he wrote home, “Mom, send me good things for the children, putting a smile on their face is the most important thing.”  

The Boomer’s Legacy Foundation is a 100% Canadian charitable organization that was created to embody and perpetuate the passion Andrew had towards helping the people in need who he encountered while deployed.  The goal of Boomer’s Legacy is to empower all deployed Canadian Forces personnel by the raising and provision of charitable funds, thus helping them to help others. 

In this way, they are able to carry on Andrew’s legacy of providing humanitarian assistance to people where ever and whenever Canadian Forces members are deployed.

More information on Boomer’s Legacy can be found at www.boomerslegacy.ca

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