HMCS ST. JOHN’S
HMCS St. John’s raises funds ahead of charity run
By Nathan Stone,
Trident staff
NATHAN STONE
Dozens of sailors and civilian employees lined up to grab lunch and support the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the last of a series of charity barbecues hosted by the crew of HMCS St. John’s in His Majesty’s Canadian Dockyard on June 28.
The once-a-week barbecues were part of a series of fundraising activities by the crew of St. John’s that continued with the annual Run the Rock relay from July 5-17. All the proceeds go to the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charity that provides special experiences to children suffering critical illness.
As of June 28, before the relay officially kicked off, the St. John’s crew had already raised more than $50,000 dollars. That’s enough to grant wishes to five children, according to Sailor 1st Class (S1) Mary Ellen Ambroziak, one of the ship’s volunteer organizers.
“Our goal this year was to Grant 11 [wishes], which is $110,000,” said S1 Ambroziak. As of July 15, with two days still to go, the team had surpassed that goal, with more than $123,000 donated so far.
A team of 16 Sailors from St. John’s is taking part in this year’s Run the Rock. Leaving Nova Scotia on July 4, the team ferried to Newfoundland to begin a 12-day relay course from Port Aux Basques to St. John’s, with plenty of stops along the way. As they run, the team solicits donations and raises awareness for Make-a-Wish in the communities they visit.
During the relay, each team member alternates between running and collecting donations. S1 Ambroziak said that the group has both strong runners and effective solicitors.
“We all kind of play to our strengths. We have a lot of people that are from Newfoundland that are participating on the team and they have a lot of family, but they kind of get the word out and we have a lot of really solid support from the community.”
2024 marks the 29th anniversary of Run the Rock. According to S1 Ambroziak, the long running partnership between HMCS St. Johns and the Make-A-Wish Foundation has raised approximately two million dollars, or 200 wishes, since it began.
To donate, visit https://makeawish.ca/event/h-m-c-s-st-johns-run-the-rock/
