Money, meet mouth

Bravo Zulu to the good folks at the Calgary B'nai Brith lodge:

Well, Joel tells me Hillier has been selected as the honouree -- Man of the Year -- for the lodge's 57th. annual gentlemen's dinner at Beth Tzedec Synagogue on Dec. 5.

That's quite a coup for the lodge, and also a coup for Hillier. This year, unlike every other gentlemen's dinner over six decades, Hillier will be the only honouree.

Until now, the routine has been to select one Jewish person to be honoured, and one non-Jewish person.

This year, Hillier gets the honour all to himself.

"We just felt this is a man of such stature, and an individual who deserves such recognition, we would change the format."

No, I'm not applauding them just for picking Rick Hillier as their sole Man of the Year, although that's quite the gesture. My congratulations go out to them for putting their money where their mouth is:

Here's something that should really make you pay attention -- the lodge intends to give $50,000 to Hillier's CDS Military Family Fund.

Hillier personally created the fund in response to the outpouring of support for our men and women in uniform in Afghanistan -- and other dangerous parts of the world -- to help military families get through an unexpected financial crisis or other hardship while a parent is in uniform serving Canada.

Well done, gentlemen.