Tuesday, April 11, 2006, HAWC2 was officially presented to the Calgary Police Service by The Rick Sonnenberg Memorial Society.
HAWC2 was purchased by The Rick Sonnenberg Memorial Society After $1.9 million was raised during a highly successful lottery – operated in our community from May to August 2004 – and from numerous private and corporate donations. The Alberta Lottery Fund, Astoria Custom Homes and TransCanada Corporation were the three major corporate sponsors.
The Calgary Police Service became the first municipal police agency in Canada to establish an Air Services Unit and full-time patrol helicopter with the arrival of HAWC1 in July 1995. Constable Rick Sonnenberg died in the line of duty in 1993 while laying a spike belt to stop a criminal fleeing police at 160 km/h. As a tribute to her brother, Lisa Stinson established The Constable Rick Sonnenberg Memorial Society. Through the society, she created the Helicopter Air Watch for Community Safety project, known as HAWCS.
