The mere thought of school classes riding in buses to cemeteries, and spending time walking around headstones — mere days after Halloween — would have principal offices turned into command centres.
Past history, has, unfortunately, provided society with far too many news stories of horror stories involving school students.
Taking them to graveyards? Really?
I mean … really?
But then we have No Stone Left Alone. And it answers the issue, frankly in spades, of school children not fully understanding — and embracing — the profound life-changing impact Canadian military women and men collectively gave.
Lillian and Ben Bianchini were both in the Canadian army. In the early 1970s, Lillian was diagnosed with breast cancer.
When she was near the end of her earth journey, each of her children had a few minutes, by themselves, with Lillian before she went to the hospital.
Maureen Bianchini-Purvis was 12 when she shared those moments with her mother.
Lillian’s message was chilling: she told Maureen not to cry when she passed, and to always remember her on Remembrance Day.
For Maureen — challenge accepted.
On the first November after her mother’s passing, Maureen placed a poppy on her mother’s headstone, plot 290 19 in Beachmount Cemetery … the oldest cemetery run by the City of Edmonton.
Maureen carried the tradition on with her husband Randall and daughters Sara and Keely.
After one cemetery commute, Keely asked why every stone didn’t have a poppy.
An idea started to take shape for Maureen. Have students place poppies on headstones that didn’t have them.
But she wanted to them to do something — hands-on, if you will — to see, and feel, the experience of placing a poppy on a headstone.
When a student places a poppy on a headstone, they say their name, rank … more.
A potential lifelong memory which perhaps cannot be evoked by even the most learned school textbook.
Now in its 13th year, the program is across Canada and in Europe. Hundreds of thousands of poppies have been thoughtfully place.
It’s growing. A major addition was the addition of the Arlington National Cemetery which has 400,000 graves.
But let’s get back inside the buses with students going to place poppies.
In a recent Sports 1440 interview, Randall tells the story of teachers watching their rambunctious students laughing — having fun, right? — on the way to the cemetery.
After the ceremony, the bus ride is quiet and a pin drop.
Last night a gala dinner was held at the J.W. Marriott with proceeds going to No Stone Left Alone.
It’s aptly called The Dance to Remember — something students will undoubtedly do.
A little over a year ago Maureen received the Alberta Order of Excellence, the highest honour an Albertan gets.
And as her brother-in-law, I couldn’t be more proud of Maureen.
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TAIT: No Stone Left Alone has a strong legacy of teaching about service, sacrifice
7
0
06.11.2023
The mere thought of school classes riding in buses to cemeteries, and spending time walking around headstones — mere days after Halloween — would have principal offices turned into command centres.
Past history, has, unfortunately, provided society with far too many news stories of horror stories involving school students.
Taking them to graveyards? Really?
I mean … really?
But then we have No Stone Left Alone. And it answers the issue, frankly in spades, of school children not fully understanding — and embracing — the profound life-changing impact Canadian military women and men collectively gave.
Lillian and Ben Bianchini were both in the Canadian army. In the early 1970s, Lillian was diagnosed with breast cancer.
When she was near the end of her earth journey, each of her children had a few minutes, by themselves, with Lillian before she went to the hospital.
Maureen Bianchini-Purvis was 12 when she shared those moments with her mother.
Lillian’s message was chilling:........
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