This year marks the 65th anniversary of The War Amps Key Tag Service. B.C. residents receiving their 2011 key tags starting this week will learn how their support of this valuable service allows the Association to continue its tradition of “amputees helping amputees.”
A letter enclosed with the key tags tells the story of War Amps member Ralph Hodgson, who lost his leg at Vimy Ridge in World War I. Hodgson met the amputees returning in hospital ships from World War II, greeting them on behalf of The War Amps and providing an encouraging picture of their futures as amputees.
The War Amps founding philosophy of “amputees helping amputees” has been proudly passed along to the thousands of children who have come through its CHAMP Program for child amputees. The Association has just marked the 35th anniversary of CHAMP, the graduates of which have taken up the torch and will continue its work long into the future.
Key tags protect any keys, not just car keys! Since 1946, The War Amps has returned more than one million sets of keys, and the service is more vital than ever with the extremely high replacement cost of keys and remote devices. Each key tag has a confidentially-coded number. Should the keys be lost, the finder need only call the toll-free number on the back of the tag, or deposit them in any mailbox, and the keys will be returned to the owner by bonded courier.
The War Amps receives no government funding. For more information, or to order key tags, call toll-free 1 800 250-3030 or visit waramps.ca.