50,000 Flags, 600 volunteers, over 120 Veterans: Operation Raise a Flag Returns to Sunnybrook

The 16th annual tribute brings the community together in gratitude, raising funds to enrich the lives of Sunnybrook Veterans

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Tuesday, November 10, Sunnybrook Foundation will host its 16th annual Operation Raise a Flag, a Remembrance Day tribute and fundraising initiative that will see 50,000 flags planted across Sunnybrook’s campus. The flags honour the courage and sacrifice of Canada’s Veterans, including over 120 Veterans, 45 of them centenarians, who call Sunnybrook’s Veterans Centre home, while funds raised help enhance their care, dignity and quality of life.

Staff, volunteers, donors, community supporters and members of Canada’s military will come together to plant the flags, transforming Sunnybrook’s Bayview campus into a sea of red and white ahead of Remembrance Day. For the Veterans who call the Veterans Centre home, the annual tribute offers a visible reminder of the community’s gratitude and continued support.

“Operation Raise a Flag is one of Sunnybrook's most meaningful annual traditions and Sunnybrook’s Veterans look forward to it every year,” says Dr. Jocelyn Charles, Chief, Veterans Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. “The flags honour the individuals whose service helped shape Canada and protect the freedoms we enjoy today. Operation Raise a Flag is a meaningful way for families and communities to participate in remembrance and show gratitude. Each flag is a reminder that Veterans' sacrifices are not forgotten.”

Funds raised through Operation Raise a Flag support the Veterans’ evolving needs and continue enhancing their care, dignity, connection and quality of life.

“Every flag planted is a visible expression of our community’s gratitude for Canada’s Veterans,” says Kelly Cole, President and CEO, Sunnybrook Foundation. “But the true power of Operation Raise a Flag lies in what generosity makes possible. Through philanthropy, our donors help fund programs that enhance Veterans’ quality of life and continue creating opportunities for connection, engagement and joy that can make a lasting difference in their lives.”

The flags will also set the scene for Sunnybrook’s Remembrance Day ceremony and procession to the Cenotaph, a valued symbol of Sunnybrook’s nearly 80 years of caring for Canada’s war Veterans. Thanks to donor support, the restored Cenotaph is a vital place of remembrance where Veterans, their families, health-care teams and the wider community can gather.

Flags with Indigenous artwork will be planted alongside Canadian flags to honour the contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Veterans.

Sunnybrook opened in 1948 as Sunnybrook Military Hospital to care for the men and women returning home from the Second World War. Those military roots continue to define Sunnybrook’s priorities. Today, the Veterans Centre, one of Canada’s largest Veteran care facilities, continues to provide exceptional care as a lasting reminder of Canada’s gratitude to those who have served. Sunnybrook partners with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) to support deployment readiness through clinical training and education, collaborating with the CAF and Veteran-affiliated organizations to prepare, support and care for those who serve and have served Canada.

To make a contribution to Operation Raise a Flag and share a message of gratitude with Veterans at Sunnybrook’s Veterans Centre, visit https://foundation.sunnybrook.ca/raiseaflag/.

About Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care with over 1.2 million patient visits each year and more than 16,000 dedicated staff, learners and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada's premier academic health sciences centres.

Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries.

The Hospital also has a unique and leading national program for the care of Canada's war veterans.

For more information about how Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care, please visit us online at www.sunnybrook.ca.