The Province

When Maureen Eykelenboom’s son was killed by a Taliban suicide bomber in the summer of 2006, her battle began.
It was a battle to ensure Cpl. Andrew James Eykelenboom, the first Canadian medic to die in action since the Korean War, and the 151 others who had fallen in Afghanistan till now, will always be remembered for both their sacrifices and the smiles they put on the faces of the people in another part of the world.
Her fight took another major step this month.
Together with a small army from the Canadian music industry, led by a journalist and a businessman, Eykelenboom is part of a national project called We Salute Our Heroes.
The project, a digital memorial wall lined with a range of dedicated songs and a charity music video called “Standing Strong and True (for Tomorrow),” is on all Postmedia newspaper websites, including The Province’s at theprovince.com/wesaluteourheroes.
“From a mom whose tears flow and will forever, you have put together a medium in which many Canadians may begin to understand a little more about the role of our troops. Words alone cannot express my emotions -- so sending each of you a big hug,” said Eykelenboom to the scores of people who had worked on the project since the beginning of this year.
The entire project got a kick-start when Vernon entrepreneur Barry Stecyk of HevyD’s Kettle Korn teamed up with Fabian Dawson, the deputy editor of The Province. They, in turn, enlisted the aid of EMI Music Canada, Country Music TV and an array of Canadian artists, songwriters, producers and engineers.
Their blueprint is what you will see on the We Salute Our Heroes link on the various websites of the country’s biggest newspapers.
“I was amazed by the scope and scale of the project these two gentlemen have undertaken. Their energy and enthusiasm were contagious, and their passion for the cause of showing support for the troops was overwhelming,” said Gen. Walt Natynczyk, Canadian Forces’ Chief of the Defence Staff.
There are several components to the project:
• The signature single “Standing Strong and True (for Tomorrow)” is available for purchase digitally via iTunes.
• The music video is available for purchase digitally beginning today via theprovince.com.
• In addition, Mac’s Convenience Stores across the country will make a donation when you buy a bag of Stecyk’s HevyD Kettle Korn.
All proceeds will go to two special funds: the Military Families Fund and Boomer’s Legacy. The Military Families Fund directly assists military families by providing immediate support in their time of need. Boomer’s Legacy is a charitable foundation that raises money for Afghans living in the valleys and villages where Canadian troops operate.
The entire project is backed by the Department of National Defence.
“This digital memorial wall [at theprovince.com/wesaluteourheroes] is where you can actually leave a heartfelt message to a fallen soldier individually or all of them. Also you can go to Dedication Songs -- these were written by independent Canadian artists -- where you can listen to all the songs and pick one to dedicate it to a soldier,” said Stecyk.
The signature song, “Standing Strong and True (for Tomorrow),” was commissioned from a trio of professional Canadian songwriters, Lynda and Tom McKillip and Ron Irving. A recording studio, Barry Allen’s Homestead Recorders in Edmonton, was donated and a variety of artists, from Aaron Pritchett to Michelle Wright, Crystal Shawanda to One More Girl, came through the doors to offer their vocals during the annual Canadian Country Music Association confab and awards gathering in September.
The session was helmed by Kevin Churko, who has worked with the likes of Shania Twain, Celine Dion and Ozzy Osbourne, and Tom McKillip, musical director for the CCMAs since 2004 who has worked with Lisa Brokop, Pritchett and many more. Observing it all was The Province’s Dawson.
“It was an amazing display of generosity by the singers and all the other people that were involved in the project,” says Dawson. “They donated their time, their talents and their energies to make this successful. And everyone had a smile on their face while doing it. To see what started out as a simple idea come together like this was tremendous.”

MORE ON THE WEB

DOWNLOAD THE CHARITY MUSIC VIDEO “STANDING STRONG AND TRUE (FOR TOMORROW)” TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR CANADA’S TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES. IT’S ALL AT THEPROVINCE.COM/WESALUTEOURHEROES.