Free Press reporter receives Legion award

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This article was published 30/04/2017 (2798 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Free Press reporter Kevin Rollason has received a national honour by the Royal Canadian Legion for a story he wrote on local veterans.

Rollason was awarded the Legion’s Media Award for his story Fading but not forgotten, a look at how while the number of Second World War veterans is dropping, there are organizations, like the Henderson Highway Legion Branch 215, which are working hard to remember them.

The award was established by the Legion’s Dominion Command to recognize individuals or organizations from the media which publicize the work in the community of Legion Branches, Zones, Districts and Provincial Commands.

The article also told how the Henderson Highway Legion printed a fundraising calendar last year, showcasing a single veteran each month, to raise funds to build a wall of honour and remembrance, as well as detailing the 44 bombing missions Legion member Ian Thomson went on and returned from during the war.

“I am very honoured to receive this award,” Rollason said.

“Everyone of these veterans has a story, but the voices of these stories are quickly disappearing. I’m glad I’ve been able to bring a few of their stories to our readers.”

The article also included a list of the names of the 191 local veterans of the Second World War who passed away in 2016, with a short synopsis of what they did during the war.

Other awards Rollason has received during his career include a National Newspaper Award in 2015 for a feature on what happened while Brian Sinclair was in the emergency room of the Health Sciences Centre and a look at bed shortages, clogged emergency rooms and the role racism played in the hospital.