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| Memorial Service to be Held in Honour of Sir Edmund Hillary KG, ONZ, KBE |
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| TORONTO, Feb. 15, 2008 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX News Network) -- The Board of Directors of the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada announced today that a memorial service will be held on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, in honour of Sir Edmund Hillary, who passed away on January 11. A state funeral was held in his honour last month in Auckland, New Zealand.
"We are pleased that the community is able to pay special tribute to Sir Edmund in this way," said W.F. (Zeke) O'Connor, Founder and Executive Director, The Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada. "Sir Ed journeyed to Canada on more than fifty separate occasions over three decades in his efforts to raise funds for the Foundation. He and his Sherpa friend, Tenzing Norgay, were first to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. This was a great feat, but even Sir Ed would say that one of his most important accomplishments in life was the work he did for which the Foundation was established: raising funds to provide environmental, health, conservation and reforestation services to the Sherpa people of the Everest region of Nepal." Among others offering words of remembrance at this celebration of Sir Edmund's life will be Kate Lackey, New Zealand High Commissioner, Karen O'Connor, President of the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada, Laurie Skreslet, the first Canadian to summit Everest (1982) and Nima McElhinney Sherpa from the community of the Solu Khumbu region of Nepal. The service will be held at St. James Cathedral, 65 Church Street, (corner of King Street E.) in downtown Toronto at 4:00 p.m. A book of condolences will be available for any members of the public who wish to sign it. After the service, the book will be sent to the family of Sir Edmund Hillary in New Zealand. "Canada was considered by Sir Ed to be his second home due to the extensive travel he did across the country raising support for the Foundation and the warm reception with which he was always greeted by the Canadian public," continued Mr. O'Connor. "It is therefore fitting that Canadians have an opportunity to say farewell to such a great adventurer and humanitarian." In lieu of flowers, a donation to support the work of Sir Edmund can be made to: The Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada 222 Jarvis Street Toronto, Ontario M5B 2B8 SOURCE: Sears Canada Inc. SOURCE: The Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada Contact for Media: Mary Mulligan, The Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada, |
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