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Fundraiser for RHFC_Piper

That's absolutely incredible. I love the kind of stuff we see like this among the military community.

Would it be a safe guess that you'll be in Trenton to pipe your platoon in?
 
Glad that things worked out
Even happier to see that Piper has plans to greet his comrades home with a wee bit of a tune to mark the occasion.

Best wishes

Chimo!
 
Well done!!!!!!!!!

If someone can post an .mp3 or .wav of a tune thru the new pipes, would really appreciate it.

Take care RHFCP.....
 
All I can say is;

THANK YOU!!!!


I can't find the words to accurately express my gratitude (other than the above statement).  I now have a lot of letters and emails to send out to a lot of people who were very generous in all their donations. All of those dontations will now go to the Wounded Warrior Fund, which is, in my oppinion, a great cause.  :salute:

What happens now; Well, I'm on my way back to Petawawa on the 12th or so of next month, to finish up my contract.  I will be waiting for my platoon / company's return and if I can, I will personally meet every flight they're on, in Trenton and play as they deplane... If that doesn't work out, I'll just wait 'till the party / memorial after their return.

Again, Thank you all.
 
Piper, let me know when you are in town for thier arrival, I'd love to hear you belt out a toon on yur new pipes..

bowing.gif

...only if you know Scotland the Brave and Black Bear...they're the only two toons that stir my heart...
 
Good Article on one of our members!!


http://www.therecord.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=record/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1170197438147&call_pageid=1024322085509&col=1024322199564



Stranger helps wounded soldier get bagpipes

MELINDA DALTON


 
PHILIP WALKER, RECORD STAFF 
Cpl. Ryan Pagnacco finally gets his "dream set" of bagpipes.



WATERLOO (Jan 31, 2007)

The inscription engraved on the small metal plate sat nearly hidden amid the pieces of one of the world's most complicated instruments.

But the succinct words said it all:

Made for Ryan Pagnacco, 2007, McCallum bagpipes.

Pagnacco, 27, didn't even notice the discreet name plate that would forever mark the pipes as his own until he had belted out a few tunes on the instrument.

"That's just amazing," the soft-spoken reservist said as his fiancée, Lisa Doerner, read the inscription. "I don't know what to say."

For the past two months, Doerner and Pagnacco's sister have been raising funds to buy the soldier, a corporal with the Royal Highland Fusiliers, his "dream set" of bagpipes.

Yesterday, that dream came true thanks to the help of a stranger.

Injured in the so-called friendly-fire incident that claimed the life of a Canadian soldier just after Labour Day, Pagnacco was sent home to recover.

Cut off from his comrades still on the battlefield and healing from several shrapnel wounds to his legs, chest and hands, Pagnacco spent the past few months slowly returning to his beloved bagpipes.

But after eight years of parades, training exercises and, most recently, the dry heat of an Afghanistan battlefield, the loaner pipes had seen better days.

A hesitant Pagnacco finally agreed to the fundraiser after his sister and fiancée posted a plea for funds on the military-frequented website, Army.ca. Within days, donations were flooding in from all over the country.

Yesterday, unaware that his dream pipes had finally arrived thanks to the work of a man he'd never met, Pagnacco finally held his new prized possession for the first time.

A piper with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Hamilton, Darryl Owen was moved by Pagnacco's story and, though he'd never met the fellow piper, he felt compelled to help.

"I read about Ryan and I contacted several suppliers in the region," Owen said yesterday as Pagnacco cradled the new pipes in his arms. "Then I contacted Kenny MacLeod (manager of) McCallum bagpipes. He said, 'I'll provide you with a set for free, it's a worthy cause.' "

The pipes arrived from Scotland by courier on Friday. Owen sent an e-mail to Pagnacco's sister: "They're here."

For weeks, Pagnacco's family kept silent about the pipes. Their fundraiser netted almost enough money to buy the pipes, but then Owen stepped in.

"He's a fellow piper," Owen said to explain why he wanted to help. "He's a soldier and a piper and just look at the smile on his face. It was all worth it."

Owen drove from Hamilton to help Holly and Doerner surprise Pagnacco, who was readying for his weekly practice with the Royal Highland Fusiliers Pipes and Drums at the armoury.

Pagnacco fell silent as the stranger approached, handed him a bagpipe case and said, "This is for you."

"Oh my God, these are awesome," Pagnacco said as he opened the case.

"I knew this would make his day," Doerner said, beaming as her fiancé tuned the pipes with the band's pipe major, Sgt. Doug Davidson.

Pagnacco played a few tunes with his bandmates before inspecting his new instrument.

His family was taken aback by the donations that came in to help fund Ryan's dream. More than $2,600 arrived from soldiers, military families, civilians and organizations all over the country. "We had people who said they donated because their fathers or grandfathers were pipers," Doerner said. "People have been so generous. It's unbelievable."

Now that Pagnacco has his free pipes, the money will go to the Sapper Mike McTeauge Wounded Warrior Fund. A check will be presented Saturday at a benefit at Fiddler's Green.

Pagnacco's old pipes will find a good home, too. "These ones were always the military's pipes. . . now they'll go back to another piper who is learning to play."

Pagnacco returns in February to CFB Petawawa. After six months at Kandahar, the soldiers who started the journey to Afghanistan with him are returning home.

"I wanted to see the guys come back. Now, I'll be playing for them."

mdalton@therecord.com

 
RHFC_piper said:
All of those dontations will now go to the Wounded Warrior Fund, which is, in my oppinion, a great cause.  :salute:

What happens now; Well, I'm on my way back to Petawawa on the 12th or so of next month, to finish up my contract.  I will be waiting for my platoon / company's return and if I can, I will personally meet every flight they're on, in Trenton and play as they deplane... If that doesn't work out, I'll just wait 'till the party / memorial after their return.

Again, Thank you all.

Out looking for a party again?

Play them a good tune to let them know you're back & are in good form

Best wishes

Geo
 
You probably could have fit your name in one or two more places in there, couldn't you? :rofl:

Seriously, good on you......
 
Good on you Piper!  If you're taking requests, I'd love to dance to your renditions of:

The Orange and The Blue - Highland Fling
Ghillie Callum - The Sword
Devil in the Kitchen -  Double Swords
Barren Rocks of Aden - Foursome Swords
The Smith's a Gallant Fireman - Sean Truibhas
The Battle of the Somme  - The Lilt
The Atholl Highlanders - The Flora MacDonald
Crossing the Minch - Sailor's Hornpipe
Barabara's Jig - The Irish Jig
The Australian Ladies - Foursome Reel (denotes number of dancers not time sig)
The High Road To Linton - Eightsome Reel (see above)
 
It was really nothing!  As I said in the news article, fellow soldier, fellow piper.........end of story.


:salute:
 
As the grand-daughter of a Scottish highlander piper (POW, 2nd world war), I would like to thank everyone here for the support they have given to Ryan :)  This kind of comraderie is what we need to see again :)

Take care!
 
RHFC_Piper is an amazing piper. I enjoyed watching the video and want to say thanks to the McCallum Company for their wonderful gift. :)
 
yep, I hope to play with him this summer at some of the different venues around the area!
 
tomahawk6 said:
RHFC_Piper is an amazing piper. I enjoyed watching the video and want to say thanks to the McCallum Company for their wonderful gift. :)

I'm not an 'amazing' piper... I'm more of an average or adequate piper. Thanks for the compliment though  :salute: (I do appreciate it a lot.)


MP 811 said:
yep, I hope to play with him this summer at some of the different venues around the area!

I'll try to be sober for the Cambridge highland games this year.  ;D

If all else fails, we can just get together and play.

BTW... Thanks again.
 
(being sober is a highly overrated quality while attending highland games)
 
ok... I'll rephrase;  I will try no to get 'fall-down' drunk at the Highland games, so as I can play the pipes and actually produce a 'Tune' and not just noise.

Better?  ;D
 
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