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Fundraiser for fallen soldier passes final milestone

Capt. Nichola Goddard was killed in Afghanistan in 2006. The annual dinner in her honour has raised about a half-million dollars for scholarships and charity work. Her family says much of that charity work is now complete.

This year's Capt. Nichola Goddard Foundation dinner will be 10th and last

Brian Higgins · CBC News ·
Sally Goddard says the fundraising and charity work of the Nichola Goddard Foundation is largely complete. Here, she admires a hand-painted helmet to be auctioned at the 10th and final fundraising dinner. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

An annual fundraising dinner in honour of a fallen soldier is passing a final milestone.

This year's event in honour of Capt. Nichola Goddard will be the 10th, and last.

"We have decided the time has come. We've finished everything we wanted to do," said Sally Goddard, mother of the soldier.

Capt. Goddard was killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2006. Since then, her family has raised about a half-million for the Nichola Goddard Foundation.

The annual dinners on P.E.I. have been a key part of that fundraising effort. A scholarship at UPEI — which helps pay travel costs for students who are studying Indigenous people — is now fully endowed.

And a project to provide solar-powered lighting in Papua New Guinea has reached its goal, according to Goddard.

Canadian soldier Nichola Goddard, the first female member of the Canadian Forces to die in combat. (Submitted by Sally Goddard)

"We have installed solar lights in rural health centres and about 1.4 million people now have access to light at night," she said. "It's been a remarkable journey and none of these things would have been done had Nichola not been killed."

Goddard and her husband Tim moved to P.E.I. from Calgary and started the fundraising dinners in 2008. She credits the Island community for helping make their charitable efforts a success. Tim has travelled to Afghanistan many times since his daughter's death. He helped set up teacher training programs there, through his work in the faculty of education at UPEI.

The Nichola Goddard Fund is now to be administered by the True Patriot Love Foundation, a national veteran's charity. Capt. Goddard was the first Canadian female soldier killed in combat. The foundation will use the Nichola Goddard Fund to assist female soldiers, veterans and their families in projects of their choosing. 

"I think Tim and I are very honoured that so many things have happened in her name," Goddard said. "She was ambitious, she loved the military. She was funny and she was fun to be around and we still miss her."

The final fundraising dinner is at the APM Centre in Cornwall Nov. 17.

Peter Mansbridge will be keynote speaker.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Higgins

Former CBC videojournalist

Brian Higgins joined CBC Prince Edward Island in 2002, following work in broadcasting and print journalism in central Canada. He follows law courts and justice issues on P.E.I., among other assignments. He retired in 2023.

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