As Greater Victoria prepares for a motorcade procession bringing home the remains of Captain Kevin Hagen, his family is working to establish a scholarship in his memory.
Family members and Royal Military College classmates of Nanaimo native Capt. Hagen have created a GoFundMe campaign to raise $15,000 for the creation of a Memorial Flying Scholarship in collaboration with Hagen’s old Cadet Corps, the 848 Royal Roads Squadron.
“The initial objective of this fundraising is to raise enough funds for 1x license,” reads the GoFundMe page.
“Should there be additional funds available, additional scholarships could be entertained, as well as other memorial efforts… in remembrance of the other 5 Canadian Armed Forces members who perished in the CH-148 Cyclone crash.”
See also: Here’s the route of the procession for Capt. Kevin Hagen in Victoria on Saturday
Capt. Hagen was one of six RCAF members who tragically died in the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter crash in the Mediterranean Sea on April 29.
On Saturday, June 27, his remains will be brought to the Victoria International Airport where Hagen’s family will be joined by military and civilian dignitaries in a police-escorted motorcade.
Starting at 1:30 p.m., the motorcade procession will travel from the airport to the McCall Gardens Funeral Home in Cordova Bay.
An overview of the route can be viewed here, but there may be changes or delays due to circumstances out of organizers’ control.
As of the time of publication, the fundraiser for the Kevin Hagen Memorial Flying Scholarship has received over $7,200 in donations.
“Thank you for this fundraiser. It will help support young pilots in memory of our Kevin. The family is strong as we stand together, grieve, experiencing our huge loss of our amazing Kevin,” reads an update from Hagen’s mother on June 5.
The organizer of the fundraiser, Marc Lussier, created the page on May 9 and has been coordinating with the 848 Royal Roads Squadron to inform them of the amount raised and transfer funds as needed.
Anyone wishing to contribute can do so at this link.
