Fundraiser for fallen soldier passes final milestone

An annual fundraising dinner in honour of a fallen soldier is passing a final milestone.

This year's event in honour ofCapt.Nichola Goddard will be the 10th, and last.

"We have decided the time has come. We've finished everything we wanted to do," said Sally Goddard, mother of thesoldier.

Capt. Goddard was killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2006.Since then, her family has raised about a half-million for the Nichola Goddard Foundation.

The annual dinners on P.E.I. have been a key part of that fundraising effort. A scholarship at UPEI which helps pay travel costs for studentswho are studying Indigenous people is now fully endowed.

And a project to provide solar-poweredlighting in Papua New Guinea has reached its goal, according to Goddard.

"We have installed solar lights in rural health centresand about 1.4 million people now have access to light at night," she said. "It's been a remarkable journey and none of these things would have been done had Nichola not been killed."

Goddard and her husband Tim moved to P.E.I. from Calgary and started the fundraising dinners in 2008. Shecredits the Island community for helping make their charitableefforts a success. Tim has travelled to Afghanistan many times since his daughter's death. He helped set up teacher training programs there, through his work in the faculty of education at UPEI.

The Nichola Goddard Fund is now to be administered by the True Patriot Love Foundation, a national veteran's charity. Capt. Goddard was the first Canadian female soldier killed in combat. The foundation will use the Nichola Goddard Fundto assistfemale soldiers, veterans and their families in projects of their choosing.

"I think Tim and I are very honoured that so many things have happened in her name," Goddard said. "She was ambitious, she loved the military. She was funny and she was fun to be around and we still miss her."

The final fundraising dinner is at the APM Centre in Cornwall Nov.17.

Peter Mansbridgewill be keynote speaker.

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