Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Comfort for Canada's troops
Sending pillows to Afghanistan
James Arnal, who died in Afghanistan in 2008, used a pillow on night patrol. (HANDOUT PHOTO)
A local furniture store is spearheading a campaign to raise funds to better the lot of Canadian troops in Afghanistan and to build a school for children in that country.
J.S. Furniture Gallery formed the Pillows For Troops foundation to honour the memory of Cpl. James Arnal, a Winnipeg soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in July 2008.
"All this is to honour Jimmy (Arnal) and what he was trying to do in Afghanistan," said James Lopes, vice-president of the family firm that owns J.S. Furniture Gallery.
Arnal used to work for Lopes but quit when he joined the military.
"Jimmy came into the store before he left for Afghanistan and wanted one of the pillows," Lopes said, referring to the Natura-brand travel pillow that Arnal would strap to his leg while on patrol, making it handy for rests.
Lopes said that Arnal liked the pillow so much that he returned to the store before the start of each tour in Afghanistan (Arnal served three tours) to pick up additional ones for himself and his combat buddies.
Lopes said Arnal served three tours in Afghanistan because he believed the fight was necessary to improve the lives of the Afghan people, especially the children. Lopes said he set up the foundation a few months after Arnal's death.
The foundation's first project is to give each member of Canada's military serving in Afghanistan one of those travel pillows that Arnal said made night patrols bearable. That's about 5,000 pillows, enough for all the troops until Canada's commitment there ends in 2011.
The foundation, which includes Natura World, the City of Winnipeg, CJOB, Winnipeg Free Press, Envisage Design Group and WA Print Management, is looking for individual donations of $5, enough to cover the cost of a single pillow.
Lopes said the City of Winnipeg has agreed to provide postcards, which will be given to those making the $5 donations and the cards will be sent along with the pillows.
"It's not just about the pillows," Lopes said of the campaign and the foundation. "Most of us are untouched by this war and we want Canadians to send a message to the troops, along with the pillows."
Donations can be made at the Ellice Avenue store, any branch of the Royal Bank of Canada, or online at www.pillowsfortroops.com
Lopes said he will deliver the first batch of pillows to CFB Trenton just before Christmas, along with Arnal's mother, Wendy Hayward-Miskiewicz.
"Even though we don't have our (campaign) launch until (Nov.) 20, news of the campaign has been spreading by word of mouth," Lopes said, adding he's confident more than enough money will be raised within two weeks to pay for all 5,000 pillows.
Lopes said the campaign's second objective will be to raise $167,000 to build a school there in honour of Arnal and the other Canadian troops killed in Afghanistan.
The campaign will have its official launch Friday at 11:30 a.m. at the store, 1725 Ellice Ave., where the Afghan ambassador to Canada, Jawed Ludin, is expected to attend.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 17, 2009 B4
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