News Release

From One Soldier to Another:

Halifax Commissionaire Fred Herman's Special Gift for Our Troops Overseas

April 23, 2008

For many Canadians, the situation in Afghanistan has brought Canada’s responsibilities abroad into their living rooms in a way not seen since the Second World War. Yet for retired peacekeeper and Nova Scotia Commissionaire Fred Herman, it was a special moment that occurred while on the job which motivated this veteran to do something a little bit extra to show support and boost morale for the brave young men and women serving in Kandahar and other bases overseas.

Fred has come up with “Soldier” – a stuffed teddy bear that he designs and puts together for our best and bravest, as well as for those Canadians who want to show their support for our troops.

Herman’s military experience of 33 years, serving in Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Syria and Egypt, made him the ideal candidate to take on duties at Halifax’s Robert L. Stanfield Airport (formerly the Halifax International Airport), where people from around the world pass through the customs counters each day. It also helped prepare him for the special assignment of escorting a fallen soldier who was being returned to his home province of Newfoundland.

Fred describes this trip on his website: “As I carried out my duties of escorting this fallen comrade, my heart was full of sorrow and sympathy for his family. I shared deeply the emotions of his fellow soldiers who accompanied his remains from Afghanistan to serve as pallbearers in the province of Newfoundland… I was inspired to do something to contribute and show appreciation for their efforts in trying to make this particular country a better place…”

Back in Halifax, after a fair amount of reflection, Fred came up with the idea of creating and producing a small stuffed teddy bear “to represent the present day Canadian soldier now serving in Afghanistan.” Nine months and many prototypes later, Herman was finally satisfied with a stuffed bear and his first “Soldier” was ready to be marched off overseas.

The response, right from the beginning, was overwhelming. Once he got in touch with the Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) in Halifax, Herman managed to secure an agreement whereby portions of the proceeds of all sales of his teddy bears go to Military Family Resource Centers across Canada. This soon led to an agreement with the Irving Oil Company, and now Herman’s “Soldier” can be found in their fuel stations across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, as well as at the Hudson News Group retail outlets at the Stanfield, Vancouver and Calgary International Airports. Fred’s little “Soldier” bear can also be found in most CANEX Retail locations at Military Bases across Canada. He recently has been approved to locate his item at all ESSO locations in the four Eastern Provinces.

Now when Herman goes to work every day, he need not look very far to see his creations on the shelves. And as he sees our soldiers leaving and returning to Canada, he knows his small contribution now speaks volumes for those who serve, some of whom may proudly follow in his footsteps as Commissionaires.

More information can be obtained from Fred’s website at http://www.geocities.com/canadianafghanteddybear/ or email afganteddy@eastlink.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Donna D’Arcy
Commissionaires
National Marketing Team
Toronto, ON
M5C 2G1
Email: ddarcy@commissionaires.ca

Terry Fallis
Thornley Fallis Communications
Toronto, ON
Office: 416 515 7517 E 222
Email: fallis@thornleyfallis.com

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