Start your engines!
Executive Director Michael Ball had the opportunity to meet (retired) Major-General Lewis MacKenzie at his farm outside of Ottawa. The former commander of Canadian and International Forces is helping promote a new initiative in support of the troops, and our friends at Original SWAT Canada - the exclusive distributor of the tactical “boot of choice” for Canadian Law Enforcement, EMS, Security and Military personnel - were gracious enough to arrange the visit.
I pulled up to Kimmdora farm - home of Kimmdora racing and driver, (retired) Major-General Lewis MacKenzie - on a rare rainy day in January. Major-General MacKenzie lives up to the parentheses around the word ‘retired’: At 71, he is still an active race car driver, an active leader in the private sector, and lends his experience and energy to numerous charities and organizations. I was invited by friends Scott and Amaranth from Original SWAT Canada. (@OSWATCanada are the main distributor of the boots our soldiers wear in Afghanistan and other challenging environments.) They’ve got something BIG in the works for our troops, and Hero Fund is very proud to be a part of it. On the day in question, Major-General MacKenzie had agreed to a photo shoot to promote the new campaign.
We met the General in a large barn out back, where he houses the race cars (he won his last Formula Ford race just four years ago at the age of 67). “Please, call me Lew,” he replied to my more formal introduction. It was fascinating to hear stories about his 35 years of service in the military, although he preferred talking about racing. I asked the General what he gets more of a rush from: racing, or leading soldiers in an active war zone? “I get asked that a lot,” he begins. “The only thing the two have in common is preparation.” Intense and thorough preparation of every hairpin turn, every manoeuvre, so much so that he says the main event is actually “anticlimactic”.
From someone who has dedicated his life to the Forces, it was really special to hear words of support from Major-General MacKenzie for what the Hero Fund is doing. “It’s a great movement.” (He also likes the website.) One of the General’s concerns is that now that the combat mission in Afghanistan is over, public support for the Forces will wane. His concern is shared by all at Hero Fund and Original SWAT Canada. It’s important that support for soldiers and their families is not a seasonal thing, but a constant element of our national culture. That’s really what this new campaign is about. (And I bet your wondering what it is…)
Well we’re not ready to share the full details of the campaign just yet, but it’s coming soon and we are very excited at Hero Fund. In the meantime, our new friend Julie at Julie Heather Photography took some great pictures with the General and his cars (below). Start your engines and stay tuned!
- Michael Ball
