Sapper Brian Collier on Saturday Memorial Hockey Tournament

Hey Everyone! I just wanted to spread the word about the memorial ball hockey tournament my family and I are coordinating for my brother, Sapper Brian Collier on Saturday. Brian was killed on 20 July, 2010 at the young age of 24, in Afghanistan while deployed with the Canadian Forces. Brian was an adventurous, whole hearted, amazing guy and loved sports. 

Brian played hockey all his life, so we thought this was a perfect way to honour him.

 If anyone is around the area and would like to come out for it, you are more than welcome. It is being held in Bradford, Ontario on Brian Collier Way. It is an outdoor tournament with Tim Horton's (in the morning), a BBQ, a silent auction, special guests Johnny Bower (a WWII veteran), the Good Brothers and some of Brian's comrades from Afghanistan. 

All of the money raised on Saturday will be donated to the scholarship funds that we have set up at the local high schools, Heart of a Hero, the Wounded Warriors fund, and to the Bradford Ball Hockey Association. 

We hope you can come out and support this amazing cause, and watch some hockey.

Shannon Collier



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KISS Ticket Giveaway

Rock Legends KISS are coming to Calgary, Alberta on Saturday July 13th and we have provided tickets & passes to meet the band to give away to members of our military past & present.

WE WANT YOU....... to nominate military personnel to attend this concert and also if you are a Veteran or currently serving soldier you are free to enter yourself as well.  The instructions on how to enter and what email to send are below.

We met Shannon Tweed on Twitter several years ago and her and Gene Simmons submitted a photo for our “Gratitude Project” we did on YouTube over three years ago. Shannon has also been very helpful with retweeting a lot of our projects and missions on Twitter and we are very thankful for that.

Last year when KISS & Motley Crue played a show in Toronto they also gave away passes & tickets to our friends at Military Minds to give away for that show and they all had an amazing night so we’re really looking forward to this.

We will not be doing this through “Thank A Soldier” for any of their other dates just the Calgary show. Everyone is welcome to enter but travel costs to get here if chosen as a winner will not be included. 

NOTE : We'll be drawing the names on June 15th as the concert is on July 13th and anyone needing to make travel plans or time off work this will give them time for that.

Thanks 
Dave Murphy - TAS 

HOW TO ENTER : 

1. Answer the question below & email your answer to Kiss@Thankasoldier.net please also include the name of the military member you are nominating and they're contact info.

In November 2011 myself and a member of the Canadian Forces got to meet Shannon Tweed & Gene Simmons at the Grey Cup, what was the name of the soldier who attended with me? (Hint : Answer may be found here) 

2. Share our KISS – Calgary Facebook photo 

Rules & Regulations : - Contest is open to all members of our military past & present within North America. 
- Flight & other travel expenses to Calgary, Alberta is not included.

- One entry per person

- Contest only open to Veterans & Currently Military Personnel 

Fake Starbucks Email circulating again

Last night someone messaged me a post about how "Starbucks doesn't support the troops" and how they should be boycotted.  I knew this was instantly false with my work with the folks at Hero To Hero US & Hero To Hero Team Canada.

This is a write up from their site  you can read their full write up here from 2003

What?! You heard Starbucks doesn't support the troops? That is soooo 2003 ... And so not true! You've probably gotten a copy of that old email -- I can't get an e-mail out about the good things being done for the troops but that e-mail goes round & round! Here's the retraction to that original e-mail and the facts behind the whole fiasco.  

I noticed that the fake post had over 120,000 shares, I'm posting this to see how many the REAL story can receive.

The Hero to Hero US program is not currently in operation but the Hero To Hero Team Canada program does continue.  You can check them out here

Please consider sharing our Facebook photo and spreading something positive.

Guitars For Vets - Canada

Jim Lowther a veteran of two tours to Bosnia and part of the first wave of Canadian troops to enter Afghanistan after 9-11 is the founder of Veterans Emergency Transition Services (VETS) a movement whose goal is to help veterans struggling to adjust to normal life.

Jim's new project Guitar For Vets Canada is a place for Veterans to come together with physical and mental disabilities to work through their problems through the power of music, while learning to play guitar at the same time.

I wanted to start Guitars For Vets because when I was at my worst with PTSD I started playing my guitar and I would just go away for awhile and it was a great way to clear my mind. I want to give every VET who suffers with PTSD A chance to get away from the noise in there heads for a short time, I mentioned this to a couple of my friends and they were all for it so I went on the net too look around to see if anyone else thought of this idea, this was before I started VETSCanada about 2 years ago.

I found Guitars For Vets in the US they were having great success with this idea and have helped many VETS through music because music is the key to healing yourself.

The Goal for Guitars4VETSCanada is to start up groups in every province so veterans with mental or physical injuries can learn to play guitar by an instructor, the groups will be no less than 3 VETS and at the end of the 10 classes each Veteran gets a new guitar and case and tuner and music book to keep going and stay on the road to healing themselves through music. Everyone who helps in this will all be volunteers and donations will go to start new G4VC's in new cities and to by Guitars 4 Vets"I wanted to start this earlier but VETS Canada was so busy I couldn't but our VETS need something to stop the noise and I feel the time is right, we are looking for anyone who would like to sponsor us so if anyone is able to spread the word that would be great."

 - Jim Lowther CD, CEO, Founder, VETSCanada.

CLICK TO LIKE G4V CANADA ON FACEBOOK 

Here is the video about the G4V program in the U.S.A 

Sgt Elton Adams - PTSD Awareness

In May 2010 we launched a video called "The Battle Of The Mind - Operational Stress & PTSD" with the use of the song "Hard" by Sgt Elton Adams.  That video to date has received over 57,000 views and Elton & I decided it was time to make a new one.  The video for Elton's song "Beat Up" features the faces of soldiers as a lot of our men and women come home injured & wounded but to most people their wounds aren't visible.

Sgt Elton Adams recently entered the CBC Searchlight contest and what started with over 3000 bands we were able to help him get to the top 8 but did not make it past that.  Even though the CBC chose to put the top 16 in a "Head To Head battle, for us it wasn't about that, it was about getting music with a purpose out there and I think we were successful with that.



Here is the video we launched together in 2010 :

Sgt Elton Adams - YouTube Collection

As promised here's Sgt Eltons Adams YouTube videos.  Some we have made & others that he has on his page.

Enjoy

Please consider voting for Sgt Elton Adams once a day from March 18th to March 24th for this round please also share our photo on our Facebook Page

CLICK HERE TO VOTE 

Our TEN most viewed videos

Here are our ten most viewed YouTube videos in the last three years. Vote for your favourite by clicking the poll below the videos.





Click here to take survey

Donate blood in memory of a fallen hero

"On Feb. 24th 2008 my son, Spc. Micheal “Pokey” Phillips gave his life for freedom. I tell people often to not dwell on that day and how he died but to dwell on how he lived. One thing Micheal often did was to give blood and the gift of life. This year to honor how he lived we are holding seoind annual  “Spc. Micheal ‘Pokey’ Phillips Memorial Blood Drive”

Yes this started as a local event but many people across the world have come to me saying they would give where they are in his memory. So I am asking you to give the gift of life to honor a man who gave the gift of his life for others.

Please help keep other families from facing the painful path of losing a loved one. If you do choose to give the gift of life in Micheal’s memory I ask you to please take a picture of yourself giving blood and share via the information below

Thank you
Angelia Phillips Gold Star Mom of  Spc. Micheal “Pokey” Phillips

Please R.S.V.P on the Spc. Micheal "Pokey" Phillips Memorial Blood Drive Facebook Page

My challenge to everyone is no matter where you are in the world on this day to go donate blood and have someone take a photo of yourself doing so then send it to SUBMISSIONS@Thankasoldier.net and we'll post an album on our Facebook page of people from every corner of the world taking part of this.

I met Angelia on Facebook many years ago and she has helped with every project I have ever launched as well as talked about our page on group on every radio show she has been on and I have always wanted to come up with a way to say thanks and I can't think of a better way than by helping her honour her son Michael.

Dave Murphy - TAS
Tweet

Click here for the Facebook event page 

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What A Soldier Left Behind - FREE Download

Click below for a free download of the song "What A Soldier Left Behind" by Sgt Elton Adams - of the Canadian Forces.

1. Click on SONGS
2. Click on "What A Soldier Left Behind"
3. Enter your email address
4. Go to your email and click "Access Exclusives Now"
5. Click Download

Zero Dark Thirty - My Review

Zero Dark Thirty arrives in theaters today and last night I had the opportunity to attend a pre-screening in Calgary, Alberta. This film already has people talking without hitting theaters yet . “Zero Dark Thirty” covers the ten year period between the 9/11 attacks and the killing of Osama Bin Laden. The story follows CIA operative Maya (Jessica Chastain) as she single-mindedly hunts for Bin Laden and those responsible for the attacks.

Personally I can’t say how “Accurate” this movie is as I wasn't there during the interrogations or situation room meetings however when the film first starts with the caption “based on first-hand accounts of actual events.” So I will leave that up to you to judge for yourselves.

“The Torture Scenes” which occupy about 15 minutes of the first half-hour of a 157-minute film have some people up in arms but if they happened then they need to be shown.

Like any movie based on actual events this movie had it’s “Bruce Willis” line moments such as the lead character Maya’s “I’m going to smoke everyone involved in this op – and then I’m going to kill bin Laden.”

Overall I enjoyed this movie and found it very interesting however there will be those that say it’s a “Public Relations PSA” from the CIA however there was easily about 30 minutes that could have been cut from this movie but that’s my opinion.

If you enjoyed “The Hurt Locker” you will enjoy this movie but if you’re also going to this expecting two hours of action you will be disappointed. If you can put up with the “Artistic Licenses” and “Team America” type one liners you won’t be disappointed either.