Pillow talk .... the patriot kind

A simple gesture has grown into a valuable gift for Canadian troops.

Pillows for Troops, a campaign to send military personnel a pillow to rest their heads on, officially kicked off yesterday at JS Furniture Gallery. For a $5 donation, a pillow and a postcard of support will be sent to a Canadian soldier serving in Afghanistan.

The initiative is in honour of Cpl. James Hayward Arnal, a Winnipeg soldier killed by a roadside bomb in July 2008.

Arnal worked at the furniture store seven years ago, which is where the Pillows for Troops idea was originally conceived.

"Just before he left for his tour he came by the store," said JS Furniture vice-president John Lopes. "I gave him a hug and decided to give him a pillow. Just a small travel pillow. I don't know why, I just gave it to him. And that's how it started. It was very innocent."

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