Monday morning and again this year Gary Corcoran has been preparing his famous Newfoundland recipe for Christmas Pudding and sharing it this time with at least 3000 portions for the troops in Afghanistan. This is another way that Canadians show their support for our troops away from home. especially at this season.
The kindness of strangers, the warmth of the season
by Kristina Davis An excerpt from the 2005 Edition of The Maple Leaf
Mr. Corcoran, vice-president and branch manager at RBC Dominion Securities in St Johns, Nfld. agrees maybe he should have been a chef. But then, of course, it would be a job and not half as much fun. And good-hearted fun seems to be part of his persona.
Working in a demanding job, cooking is his stress reliever and he and some like-minded friends take full advantage of his penchant for a good beef roast or cozy night in for 100. Take, for example, a Saturday morning in late November when he, Steve Watson from Central Dairies Ltd., and his wife Pat, Kevin Hutchings, honorary colonel of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Newfoundland Regiment and Shirley Penny, amenities co-ordinator for the Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency (CFPSA) all gathered at the mess at CFS St Johns. Their goal: Christmas pudding for the troops in Afghanistan, all 900 of them. Ten hours laterwith a few alterations to the recipethey were done.
Firstno boozethe original recipe actually calls for Screech. Plus, he added blue potatoes to the mix. Last year, he and his band of merry chefs actually peeled the requisite potatoes and parsnipsyup, the recipe calls for parsnips, tooby hand, while boiling the pudding on Coleman stoves.
This year, thanks to the support of Commander Gary Reddy, CFS St Johns base commander, they had the full use of the mess and all its kitchen gadgets, shaving hours off production time. One hundred and thirty puddings laterthey each contain about eight servingsthey were done. It was a little more sensible, Mr. Corcoran says wryly, to do the puddings at the mess.
Mr. Corcoran says he cooked the puddings for the troops because he wanted them to know that someone was thinking of them. Its not so much that we made the puddings, he explains, a chef could do that. Its that someone cared enough to make them and send them to Afghanistan.
CFPSAs Ms. Penny says shes seen an increase in giving over the past few years. In charge of Operation SANTA, the program that ensures the Christmas puddings reach Afghanistan in time for the holidays, she says many companies are donating items. They are really stepping up to help, she says. And theyre not asking for anything in return.
This year soldiers will again receive boxes of goodies courtesy of Op SANTA. From Frisbees, to baseball hats and a golf shirt, each parcel contains items donated by some 60 companies.
She even received feedback from soldiers last year on Mr. Corcorans Christmas pudding. The verdict: mm, mm good. And the giving is very much a two-way street. It makes Canadians back home feel they are part of our deployed forces, she explains.
Shortly after our initial interview, Mr. Corcoran sent an e-mail. Hed been thinking about one particular question. He wrote: I mentioned that it was a nice thing for the soldiers to think that people they dont know took the time to make and send them puddings. In retrospect, its exactly what they do every dayrendering their services to people they dont know. This is a little something in return for their tremendous contribution to make the world a better place to live.
This was an excerpt from the 2005 Edition of The Maple Leaf Mr Corcoran and his friend continue their good works. This year with more than 3000 portions prepared wrapped and shipped to CFB Trenton for onward transport to the Troops in Afghanistan in time for Christmas. A small piece of home in a war torn country, will put smiles on the faces of Canadaians away from families and Loved ones at this family time , Christmas.
A refresher link to show you all about Canada's Operation Santa:
http://www.cfpsa.com/en/corporate/NewsCentre/Support/index.asp
Remember Everyone Deployed
Nil Sine Labore
Robby
