Mitchell's Money Matters
Barry Mitchell, Treasurer
The Memorial Wall project certainly has given the HKVCA a different
dimension as far as finances are concerned and I’m delighted to handle
much larger sums of money which have been flowing in as donations.
Wow—nearly $80,000 and counting! I don’t want to downplay
the importance
of our dues but the occasional generous gift of $1,000 or more towards
the wall is enough to take your breath away. We extend our heartfelt
thanks to all donors who join with us in creating this lasting tribute
to our Hong Kong vets.
Our Association has invested in a number of other projects as part of our ongoing effort to spread the word. For example, the Manitoba Region has recently had two handsome displays made which tell the story of the Battle of Hong Kong in pictures and other graphics. One is a free standing display which we place in strategic locations for a few weeks at a time. The other is a table top exhibit which we use as a visual display when we give lectures to groups of schoolchildren, teachers, and others. Major contributors to the cost of having these displays made were the Winnipeg Foundation and the Thomas Sill Foundation. We appreciate their generosity and recognize their significant role in our community.
A similar exercise is currently being carried out by the Ontario Region. In this case, it was Veterans Affairs Canada that provided a grant to have a comprehensive exhibit made which could be used in a variety of ways to tell the Hong Kong story. A design consultant has been hired and an advisory committee formed to research and then present our story in a meaningful way.
A recent addition to our items for sale is an Honour Roll, in colour, of those who were members of ‘C’ Force Headquarters Unit in Hong Kong in 1941. We also have redone the Honour Roll for the Winnipeg Grenadiers in colour and each of these attractive scrolls can be purchased for $20.00 plus postage.
When telling our story to school teachers, we can suggest they purchase teaching guides from us called the Ten Lessons. We can supply these excellent historical accounts of the Battle of Hong Kong in both English and French at very reasonable prices.
I would like to remind everyone that we have a variety of items for sale that are most suitable as gifts to members of the Hong Kong family. Please refer to our website, www.hkvca.ca, for complete descriptions of the pins, shirts, books, videos and honour rolls, along with ordering instructions. It is also time to pay your annual dues and I know your treasurer would love to hear from you if your membership isn’t current.
HKVCA and Tax Receipts
Perhaps you aren’t aware that the Hong Kong Veterans’ Commemorative Association is a Registered Charity in Canada and as such, can issue tax receipts just like any other charity.The HKVCA was issued a charity designation by Canada Revenue Agency in 2002 and is permitted to issue receipts that can be used as tax deductions on your income tax return. This is no different than any of the many charities which most of you support and while we are not suggesting that you don’t donate to them, we are asking that you include the HKVCA in your charitable donations.
The HKVCA will issue you a tax receipt for any donation of $20.00 or more. If you wish, you may specify that it be directed to the Memorial Wall project but our activities are not limited to that. Any donation which is not specified or is marked ‘General’ will be utilized in one of the many other projects we have underway in education, promotion, history and general public awareness.
So, we encourage you to consider the HKVCA when allocating your charitable donations. We will promptly issue you a tax receipt which you can include in your annual income tax return. Support our cause while at the same time easing that painful tax bite.
See you again next time.