The Irish Regiment of Canada Second Battalion delved into tradition Thursday night with a special ceremony to appoint new honourary leaders of the regiment.
The event, held at the Sudbury Armoury on Riverside Drive, saw the appointments of Abbas Homayed and Sara Cunningham as new honorary colonel and honorary lieutenant-colonel respectively.
Homayed is publisher of Sudbury.com, NorthernOntarioBusiness.com and director of community relations for Village Media Inc. For the past six years, Homayed has served the regiment as the honorary lieutenant-colonel.
This is Cunningham's first role with the regiment, although both her father and grandfather had extensive military service with the Irish Regiment and the Copper Cliff Highlanders.
Cunningham, a deputy chief of the Greater Sudbury Police Service, also has an extensive list of community and volunteer roles in Sudbury for several years.
Also on Thursday, the regiment paid tribute to the outgoing HCol. Kevin McCormick who was also presented with the CD Medal (Canadian Forces Decoration).
The regiment said the presentation of the CD honoured McCormick’s time and commitment to the military.
McCormick, the president and vice-chancellor of Huntington University, was first named as an honorary lieutenant-colonel of the regiment. He was appointed as honorary colonel of the Irish Regiment In 2017.
Thursday night's ceremony included members of the regiment performing a presentation of the regimental colours to the new honourees,
"The passing of colors from an outgoing honourary to an incoming one ensures that the unit and its soldiers are never without official leadership; a continuation of trust and it also signifies an allegiance of soldiers to their unit commanders," said event emcee 2nd Lieut. David DeLoye.
The new regimental honouraries also signed official documents transferring the roles from Hon. Col. McCormick to Hon. Col. Homayed and to Hon. Lt.-Col. Cunningham.
In his remarks acknowledging his new role with the regiment, Homayed thanked McCormick for his long service. He also welcomed Cunningham to her new role saying her proven record of leadership and expertise would inspire confidence throughout the regiment.
Homayed also remarked on the importance of the regiment in Sudbury
"The Irish Regiment has always been more than just a military unit; we are an integral part of Greater Sudbury, a community that we love to serve," said Homayed.
"From participating in charitable events to providing assistance during times of crisis, our regiment has consistently demonstrated its commitment to making a positive impact beyond the confines of this building,” Homayed said.
“Whether it's through volunteering, community outreach programs, or fostering strong ties with local organizations, our regiment remains steadfast in its dedication to serving others. I wanted to extend my congratulations to the command team, led by the commanding officer Lt Colonel Kirk Langdon."
Len Gillis is a reporter at Sudbury.com.
