SouthShoreNow.ca

Mark Roberts
Lighthouse staff

 CHESTER BASIN - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police handed out certificates of appreciation to the Chester Basin Royal Canadian Legion Branch #88, and Adams Transport in Gold River last week for volunteer efforts undertaken during the Swissair disaster.

 The Commanding Officer Certificates of Appreciation were presented March 9 at the legion by Tantallon NCO Staff Sergeant Keith McGuire on behalf of the Commanding Officer for the RCMP in Nova Scotia, Assistant Commissioner Dwight Bishop.

 Legion members helped process donations of food and supplies. Adams Transport donated a large trailer truck. Legion volunteers funnelled the food and supplies on a need basis to the St. Margarets Bay Legion, where the supplies were further processed and sent to Peggy's Cove to feed searchers, including ground search and rescue personnel and the RCMP. There was also a refrigeration unit on site.

 Over $250,000 worth of donations passed through the legion during the first two months of the search effort. After the Red Cross left, the two legions were responsible for nearly 100 per cent of the donations.

 Bruce Brophy, a Tantallon RCMP officer who is also a member of the legion, was responsible for procuring donations. He said the volunteer effort was crucial to the overall operation and, except for residents in the community, wasn't well-known. "We just did it and kept everything quiet. We weren't looking for recognition. We just went ahead and did it. We were responsible for supplying $250,000 worth of donations to the disaster fund."

 Various other organizations and companies involved in the effort will receive similar certificates of appreciation, including the union hall in East River and numerous organizations in Blandford.

 Legion president Ruben Heisler accepted the certificate on behalf of the legion and Nellie Rafuse and Maureen Myra accepted the certificate on behalf of Adams Transport.