Jim Parks - Fundraising Home Page
Juno Beach Centre Association
Virtual Remembrance Day / Juno Beach event - StrongPoint 1500m
Thursday December 31, 2020
Please help us make this year's Virtual Remembrance Day / Juno Beach event in support of Juno Beach Centre Association one of the best ever
[Le texte français suit ci-dessous]
My name is Jim Parks and I am a Second World War veteran who just turned 96 in September. On June 6th 1944, as a 19-year-old, I landed on Juno Beach with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles to begin the liberation of France from Nazi Germany. I came ashore very close to where the Juno Beach Centre, Canada's Second World War museum and cultural centre in Normandy, France, stands today.
The Centre is near and dear to me. It honours the over 45,000 Canadians who died fighting the Second World War. I have been an active runner my whole life and am pleased to be walking the Strongpoint 1500m in support of the Juno Beach Centre.
I am walking in memory of the over 5,000 Canadians who laid down their lives in Normandy. Today they rest in cemeteries like Bény-sur-Mer and Bretteville-sur-Laize.
My initial goal is to raise one dollar for each of them. The funds raised will help the JBC overcome the losses associated with the prolonged closure of the museum in order to fight COVID-19. Join me to ensure that my comrades are always remembered at Juno Beach!
Update: it has been less than a week and dozens of generous supporters have helped me reach my initial goal of one dollar raised for every Canadian killed in Normandy. I have updated my goal to $18,700. This is the number of Canadian soldiers killed, wounded, or captured in Normandy.
THANK YOU AND LEST WE FORGET!
Je suis Jim Parks et je suis un vétéran de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et j’ai célébrer mes 96 ans en septembre dernier. Le 6 juin 1944, à l'âge de 19 ans, j'ai pris part au Débarquement à Juno Beach au sein de mon régiment, les Royal Winnipeg Rifles afin de commencer la libération de la France de l'Allemagne nazie. J’ai foulé la terre de Normandie tout près de l'endroit où se trouve aujourd'hui le Centre Juno Beach, le musée canadien de la Seconde Guerre mondiale et centre culturel canadien en Normandie.
Le Centre me tient beaucoup à cœur. Il rend hommage aux plus de 45 000 Canadiens qui sont morts au cours de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. J'ai été un coureur actif toute ma vie et je suis heureux de marcher sur les 1500 mètres « Strongpoint » en soutien au Centre Juno Beach.
Je marche à la mémoire des plus de 5 000 Canadiens qui ont sacrifié leur vie en Normandie. Aujourd'hui, ils reposent dans des cimetières comme Bény-sur-Mer et Bretteville-sur-Laize.
Mon objectif initial est d'amasser un dollar pour chacun d'eux. Les fonds collectés aideront le JBC à surmonter les pertes liées à la fermeture prolongée du musée afin de lutter contre le COVID-19. Rejoignez-moi pour vous assurer que mes camarades ne seront jamais oubliés à Juno Beach!
Mise à jour: cela fait moins d'une semaine et des dizaines de généreux supporteurs m'ont aidé à atteindre mon objectif initial d'un dollar amassé pour chaque Canadien tué en Normandie. J'ai mis à jour mon objectif à 18 700 $. Il s'agit du nombre de soldats canadiens tués, blessés ou capturés en Normandie.
MERCI ET N'OUBLIONS PAS!
For more information visit the Virtual Remembrance Day / Juno Beach event website.
My funds raised so far
Personal Goal: $18,700 Raised: $20,095
Sponsors
View people that have helped by sponsoring you.
The following people donated online:
| Name | Amount | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Bernie Brunino | $50 | Good luck Jim!! |
| Katie, Andrew Parks | $50 | Go Grandpa |
| Scott Clayton | $100 | Proud to call you friend ! |
| Terry Geddes | $500 | As a proud Legion member and the son of a vet Jim I am honoured to donate to this very worthy cause. It is imperative to me that we never forget the efforts of you and men like my dad. |
| Gary McDonald | $50 | Proud to support you Jim! |
| Harold Rowe | $50 | Great work. Thank you much. This is in my father's name. |
| Bill Penny | $20 | In memory of my father in law who landed on the beaches of Normandy on his birthday which was D Day plus 1 |
| Sarah Tarbuck | $25 | |
| Angela Armstrong | $100 | Mr. Parks, you are a hero and inspiration. Thank you for your service, sacrifices and ongoing efforts to serve. I hope you reach your goal! All the best. Angela |
| David Bunston | $200 | You are an inspiration my friend |
| Sandra Frost | $100 | Thank you for your service and your sacrifices for our freedom. I watched your interview on the news and knew that I had to help. You are a very inspiring man. Thank you Mr. Parks |
| Brig Gen (Retd) Ernest Beno | $100 | What a great soldier you are, Jim. I have walked that beach with Lockie Fulton of the Little Black Devils. What a man! What a Regiment! Good Shooting, Jim. |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| Judah Davidson | $100 | |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| Will O'Hara | $100 | Go Jim, former marathon runner! |
| Paul J Gettas | $25 | Thank you for your service Mr Parks. My grandfather was in Normandy and participated in the liberation of Holland during WWII. Lest we forget ❤️ |
| Martha Walkinshaw Thouless | $25 | Thank you for your service Mr. Parks and for all you are doing for Juno Beach Center! |
| Anonymous | $50 | An excellent cause! Thanks for the opportunity to contribute. |
| My great uncles Paul Ross and James Wedderburn who served in France. | $50 | Good luck on a great cause. I have nothing but respect for the Juno Beach Centre as one of the lucky educators that received the privilege of attending their summer PD. |
| Lorraine Garneau | $25 | Go Jim Go!! My Grandfather, Father and Son-in-Law--all Military Veterans have Bricks at Juno Beach |
| Mick and Cathy Perehudoff | $50 | Thanks for your serbice |
| Mary McLaughlin | $100 | God Bless you for your efforts now, and so many years ago. This is a great cause and I hope you well surpass your goal! |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| Stefan van Doorn | $50 | Many thanks from the Netherlands! |
| Wendy Anes Hirschegger | $100 | I am donating on behalf of my parents, Margaret and the late Robert Anes, who grew up in the Netherlands which was liberated from the Nazis by Canadian Armed Forces. Dad served in the military in the Netherlands prior to immigrating to Canada with Mom in |
| Martin Rice | $25 | I recall with much fondness our visit to the Centre in 2017 and am pleased to support Mr. Parks. |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| Anonymous | $50 | |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| Franey Family | $50 | Good luck in your endeavour |
| 32 Military Police RCACC | $100 | |
| Gerry and Janice Levesque | $50 | In memory of my father and uncle who were both veterans. Thank you Jim for continuing to serve! |
| Lloyd and Shirley Dow | $50 | |
| Brian Budden - QORA (Toronto Branch) President | $25 | A great Veteran and friend too. |
| Andrea MacFarlane-Grieve | $25 | Thank you so much for doing this! |
| Carlo Cosolo | $50 | Once in the Queen's Own......... |
| Anonymous | $70 | |
| David Struthers | $200 | I'm certain that those that sacrificed their lives are watching. |
| Anonymous | $50 | |
| Ann Ward | $25 | Sir, Thank you for your service and doing this. |
| Megan McLeish | $25 | The maple leaf forever. Thank you for your service. |
| robert russell | $25 | you are a true hero |
| Anonymous | $50 | |
| Clint Lovell | $50 | Enjoyed meeting you at The Cenotaph Project in Barrie Jim. Once again Go get 'em. |
| Don Bicknell | $100 | Thanks for everything Jim....Without the efforts and sacrifices made by you and your comrades We would not be enjoying the freedoms that we all have today... |
| Heather Snyder | $20 | I hope you reach your goal. Thank you for doing this! |
| Peter Mason | $25 | Good luck Jim, and thank you for your service |
| Linda Cadieux Daley | $50 | My Dad landed at Juno Beach on D Day. Sadly he passed away last year. So thankful for all the young men and women. GO Jim! |
| Diane Miller | $50 | Thank you for your service. I will never forget. |
| Peter Vanderploeg | $50 | Wonderful cause Jim, great memories of my visit to JBC |
| The Royal Winnipeg Rifles Foundation | $200 | Jim - many thanks from the Board of Trustees of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Foundation for this tremendous accomplishment. Well done indeed. We are all very proud and pleased to make a small contribution toward your goal. All the best |
| Orv Francescone | $25 | Keep up he good work |
| Dick Coates/Rod Klein | $500 | |
| Larry Day | $100 | Congradulations Jim. Glad to see you still out and going. |
| Kenneth Cecil Whitehead | $25 | My father was supposed to be in the D-Day landing, but got Tonsillitis & came in with the mop-up crew 2 weeks later. He died 2 years ago, at age 93, so I dedicate my donation to him. |
| Vic Davis | $50 | Jim: I wish to support your effort for the Juno Beach Centre, which I visited in 2010. I am a member of the Men's Probus Club of Newmarket. |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| Anonymous | $25 | |
| Candace Covell Herbert, Larry Herbert | $140 | In memory of our fathers both veterans WW2 |
| Lagacé Family | $100 | We visited Juno Beach last May for the 75th anniversary; no words can explain the emotions felt. Thank you Mr. Parks for your sacrifice, it's an honor to support you for this run. Cheering you on from Quebec, Canada. |
| Bob Stewart | $50 | Met you at Persecini’s Gym in Newmarket many years ago. Good to see you’re still “givin er” |
| Leslie, Jason, Laine & Jonah | $100 | Hear are cheers! Go Uncle Jim! |
| Honorary Colonel Bob Williams Fort Garry Horse | $500 | I was born in December of 1945. Guess what my Dad did when he got home? |
| tom higginbotham | $50 | |
| Ross Tudor | $100 | Thank You Sir |
| Meriel Beament Bradford | $1,000 | Remembering my dad, Ted Beament, RCA and all who served in WWII |
| Anonymous | $25 | |
| Evan Parks and Sherry Zahedi | $250 | Have a great run Jim ! Thank you to the Juno Beach for honouring our Canadians soldiers, thank you Jim much love from the rest of the family ! |
| Vicki Skryha | $100 | Thank you for doing this. My great uncle Walter Klos, a Royal Winnipeg Rifle, gave his life at Juno Beach on D-Day. I wonder if you knew him. It is important to keep this history alive and support places like Juno Beach Center. |
| Sgt Roy Hutchinson Moon, 12th Field regiment | $100 | Thank you for keeping our history alive and in the present. My grandfather landed on the beach at Normandy on D-Day also |
| Ted And Theo Parks | $100 | So proud of you Uncle Jim for serving and continuing to serve your country fundraising for The Juno Beach Centre which keeps alive the memory of so many lives lost in the defense of freedom! |
| Anonymous | $50 | |
| Andy Enotera | $100 | |
| joseph rosenthal and Diane (of memory) | $100 | we salute you and your effort, bless you |
| Jeff Parton | $25 | Atta go Jim |
| Lee & Doug MacNeil | $25 | Good luck Mr. Parks! The Juno Beach Centre is a great cause & a must see place to visit when in Normandy, France! |
| Johanne Coulombe | $100 | Thank you for doing this |
| Pantaleo Family | $100 | Mr Parks, we are forever grateful for you and your colleagues. |
| Paul Wildridge | $100 | Fantastic Jim. You make us all proud. |
| Sean Steuart | $100 | |
| Theo Holwerda | $20 | Keep up the good work Jim Parks |
| Anonymous | $50 | |
| Frank Reimann | $25 | Keep on running, Sir! |
| Emily Otterman & Bill Cummings | $100 | Go Jim!!! |
| John & Kim Fotheringham | $100 | Go Jim! In memory of my Dad's cousin, F/O RJW Askwith, RCAF, KIA 28 April 1942 |
| Anonymous | $20 | |
| Ed & Joan Burnett | $25 | Jim Parks, thank you for your service |
| George Prime | $50 | My Dad was a vet and served in Holland and Germany with the GGFG. |
| My grandfathers, who served in the RCAF in WW II | $250 | |
| Alex & Rosanne Thomson | $50 | |
| Patty Low | $100 | You sir, are an inspiration! Thank you. |
| Anonymous | $50 | |
| Stephen & Lorraine Sheather | $100 | Good Luck! |
| Fairty Family | $500 | in honour of Grumpa |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| Shawna Trudel | $50 | Thank you for your continued service, so happy to be able to support you and the JBC |
| Trinity United Church AOTS Men’s Club | $200 | In honor of our dear friend Jim Parks, decorated WW II Veteran |
| Donna Oldfield | $25 | For all that you do and all that you are! |
| Vanessa Zappi | $100 | |
| Discover Montessori School | $25 | Thank you for all you have done for Canada! |
| Leah Judd | $100 | Thank you Jim and the Juno Beach centre for honouring Canadians and their efforts in WWII |
| Arthur and Norman Buchanan | $25 | Thank you for your service Jim |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| Larry D'Orsay | $50 | Thank You for walking for all of us. |
| Eldon and Joan Montgomery | $25 | |
| Tanja Puhlmann | $50 | Thinking of all today who have sacrificed for our freedoms and country |
| David Smith | $100 | I am humbled by the sacrifices our Canadian soldiers made. |
| Anonymous | $25 | |
| Melissa Sullivan and her Grade 6 Class | $50 | Thank you Jim for inspiring and educating another generation of Canadians. |
| David Pease | $1,000 | In memory of Ted Pease, June 6, 1944 and the members of B Squadron, First Hussars. |
| Anonymous | $100 | |
| The Battlefield Tours | $100 | Way to go Jim! Everyone at The Battlefield Tours is rooting for you to make your goal! Right on!! |
| Rob Lawrence | $50 | I followed the exact path of your regiment from landing to engagement with the 12th SS and was deeply moved by the experience. The Juno Centre was stunning. My father flew a Lacaster over Caen. Thank you for your service Jim. |
| Daryl Logan | $25 | What a wonderful effort |
| Ian and Carol | $20 | Thank you for your service. |
| Pamela Taylor | $50 | Proud to support you Jim and thank-you to you and all the men who served. |
| Dan Choate | $50 | Thank you Jim! |
| Jennifer Backus, Maya and Anders Eriksson | $25 | Thank you Jim Parks! We will never forget the Hero's and their sacrifice. From our family to yours. |
| Don Orth | $50 | A gret cause...thanks to everyone who is participating!! |
| Ruth Pearson | $25 | Bravo to Samantha Cowan of TheBattlefieldTours for running on behalf of Jim Parks! |
| Mark Warner | $50 | 😀 |
| Lynda Falcone | $25 | Thank you for your service Mr Parks. |
| Glenn Edmonds | $25 | Fantastic cause. Thank you Jim for your service and Samantha for your awareness and 21k run! |
| Earl McLaren | $50 | Thank you to Samantha Cowan for running the 21K and making us aware! |
| Glen Moore | $50 | I wish you the best of luck and well done Sir |
| Ray S. from Mount Albert | $300 | Thank you Jim from your service |
| Doug Ross | $25 | Well done for an excellent cause! |
| Hoernke Family | $50 | |
| Abbey Lane PS, Oakville, On | $100 | Your talk and your willingness to set the example when it comes to being mentally and physically fit inspired our classroom Movember fundraiser and we wanted to support you in your goal. Thank you. |
| Chris Vuyk | $25 | My father in law served with Royal Winnipeg Riffles in Netherlands |
| Brian Walsh, for Sean (John) Walsh | $4,500 | Jim, my Dad John Walsh joined you and 3 other d-day vets at Juno in 2013 to commemorate the landing. You are an amazing man. Dad has since passed but would have been so pleased to support this initiative. |
| Anonymous | $10 | |
| norma hillyard | $50 | Thank you |
| Anonymous | $500 | |
| Sharon Weeks | $25 | |
| Polly and Lawrence Corso | $50 | Thank you Jim! God bless you! |
| In memory of my Dad, Sgt. James Neil Cathrea 8th Reconnaissance Regiment WWII | $500 | Deep Respect |
| Anonymous | $50 |
The following people donated offline:
| Name | Amount | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Dawe | $150 | |
| Access Abilities We saw an interview on CP24 featuring Jim Parks, | $1,000 | |
| Warren J Beacham | $50 | |
| Roy and Sharon Hamilton | $50 | |
| Judith Mooney | $100 | |
| Ian Thompson | $50 | |
| Vicki Hoskin | $100 | |
| Rev. Ross Carson | $75 | |
| Janet Parkes | $50 | |
| Janet Parks | $50 |
The donation period has ended for this fundraiser.