Dear Fellow NOABC members:

I hope you have been able to enjoy the excellent summer weather. The naval
centennial events on both coasts have been proceeding very well. A number of
you were able to join me for the Exercising of the Freedom of the City and
the unveiling of the “Homecoming Statue” in Victoria on May 4th. The Fleet
Review was also a great success and I hope some of you were able to attend.

Centennial projects in Metro Vancouver are also underway. To recount naval
experiences that will resonate with the public, we are producing video and
audio vignettes of our west coast naval veterans to preserve their
compelling experiences that encompass WW2, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and
today’s Persian Gulf ops.

On September 4, at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM we will be presenting the *Canadian
Navy Centennial Tattoo **(see the enclosed poster)* in the Pacific National
Exhibition’s Pacific Coliseum. The PNE is celebrating its centennial and
agreed to present our independent Tattoo - with free admission for fair
patrons - as part of their 2010 entertainment . The Tattoo will include a
special presentation on the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, who are also
celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year.

Our Society applied for and received a grant from the federal Marquee
Tourism Events Program of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. However, the grant
will not be sufficient to cover all the expenses of the Tattoo and Vignettes
production. The biggest cost that we will incur is the visit by The Band of
Her Majesty's Royal Marines, Portsmouth. We are obligated to pay for all of
their travel, meals, accommodation, and daily allowances. The PNE has been
an excellent contributor, providing the Pacific Coliseum and production
support at no cost to the Society. However, due to the PNE policy of not
charging their patrons for entertainment, while attending the fair, there
can be no admission charge for the Tattoo. This means we must raise $50,000
to supplement our grant in order to meet the Vignettes and Tattoo costs.
Through the sale of calendars, which many of you supported, as well as
private and corporate donations, we are well on our way to reaching this
target.

For NOABC members and veterans, a reserved section will be provided at both
performances of the Tattoo. Tickets for such an event would normally range
from $30 - $65. I am therefore requesting that you consider a donation to
help offset the costs of bringing this great Naval Centennial celebration to
our fellow citizens in the Metro Vancouver region. Any support you can
provide will be most appreciated.

*For those requiring tax receipts ($25.00 and over)*: Please forward a cheque
payable to *Vancouver Naval Museum & Heritage Society, *c/o Ms. Jocelyne
Lapointe, Treasurer, Vancouver Naval Museum & Heritage Society, PO Box
43595, RPO Alberni Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6G 3C7. Please specify *“Naval
Centennial Events” *on the cheque.

If a tax receipt is not required, please forward a cheque payable to *Metro
Vancouver Navy 2010 Society*, c/o Mr. Bob Juulsen, Treasurer, 5579 Anchor
Bay, DELTA, B.C., V4K 4R9.

Yours sincerely,

King Wan