I am very excited to accept the role of Honorary Patron with

The words of Rick Mercer — “I am very excited to accept the role of Honorary Patron with Hope Air because of the national scope of the organization and the very real impact they have on Canadians who need to travel to healthcare.” — resound with both humility and purpose. They are not the boast of a man seeking applause, but the vow of one who recognizes that true honor is not in fame or fortune, but in service. In this declaration lies a truth as old as the ancients: that the measure of greatness is not what one receives, but what one gives to those in need.

To accept the role of Honorary Patron is to accept the mantle of responsibility. Mercer, long known as a voice that spoke with wit and fire to a nation, here turns his voice toward compassion. He acknowledges the national scope of Hope Air, an organization that lifts burdens from the shoulders of the weary by giving them wings to reach the care they cannot find nearby. His words remind us that no people are whole unless the vulnerable among them are carried, and that no society is strong unless it makes a way for the sick to be healed.

The impact he speaks of is no abstraction. For those in small towns, remote villages, and northern communities, the road to healthcare can be long and costly, sometimes impossible. Without the aid of organizations like Hope Air, many would be left in suffering, far from the treatment that could save their lives. By speaking of this impact, Mercer joins the ancient chorus of those who believed that the truest work of a people is to bind the wounds of their own. In Rome, emperors were judged not only by conquests but by how they cared for the poor; in every age, the noble are remembered not for their pleasures but for their service.

History gives us examples of this principle made flesh. Consider Florence Nightingale, who left the comfort of her station to serve soldiers in the Crimean War, transforming the meaning of nursing through compassion and organization. Or think of Tommy Douglas, remembered as the “Father of Medicare” in Canada, who endured scorn and struggle to create a system that gave healing to the many rather than privilege to the few. These figures embody the same truth Mercer touches: that to support healthcare is to serve life itself, and that no work is higher.

Yet there is also a lesson here about the power of voice. Mercer could have chosen silence, but instead he chose to lend his name and strength as a shield for the vulnerable. In this, he echoes the heroes of old — Cicero who defended the republic with his words, or leaders of faith who spoke against injustice. His acceptance of patronage shows us that the excited heart is not the heart seeking glory, but the heart eager to be useful.

The lesson is clear: when you are given a platform, do not waste it on vanity. Use it to lift those who cannot lift themselves. If you are given a name, let it echo not for your own sake, but for the sake of the good it can inspire. Impact is not measured in titles, but in lives changed, in burdens eased, in the sick brought to healing.

Practical wisdom follows. Seek out the causes that need your support, and offer your strength — whether wealth, skill, or simply your voice. Be like Mercer: let your excitement be in service, not self-indulgence. Do not imagine your gift is too small, for in the chain of compassion, every link is vital. Support the sick, the poor, the isolated, and the forgotten. In this labor, you will discover a joy far greater than any applause: the joy of knowing you have been of use.

So remember, child of tomorrow: true honor is not in crowns, but in carrying the weak. True impact is not in monuments, but in the quiet healing of lives. Follow the wisdom in Rick Mercer’s words — give your energy, your name, your devotion, to the service of others. For in this service lies the highest calling of humanity: to ensure that no one is left behind on the journey to healing.