Local poppy campaign starts back up this week

By Gillian Slade on October 24, 2018.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com  @MHNGillianSlade

The sight of a red poppy evokes images and memories of veterans and their service.

The local Royal Canadian Legion’s Poppy campaign is launching this week, says chair Sheila Donner.

She says a major misconception about the campaign is that poppies are sold, while the truth is the Legion accepts donations from people looking to receive a poppy.

The poppies are all made by a company in Ontario, and traditionally veterans have participated in the process, said Donner. The Legion, which holds the patent on the poppies, purchases them at a cost of $115 for 1,000 poppies.

Originally the poppy had a black centre, but in 1980 the decision was made to change the centre to green. In 2002 it was decided to return to black centres to more accurately reflect the poppies in Flanders.

Poppy campaign boxes are being delivered in Medicine Hat this week to many of the traditional venues and plenty of new ones, too, says Donner.

Volunteers, some of whom have been participating for more than two decades, have the task of delivering boxes to addresses in about a dozen routes. Along with the collection boxes there are the poppies traditionally worn on lapels.

By Friday, Hatters will also see volunteers at about six locations, including Medicine Hat Mall, with poppies and collection boxes for donations.

Last year, $85,000 was raised locally for the poppy fund. The money is used to support veterans and their families with a manual that spells out the criteria for using the money, said Donner. In the past it has been used in part for cadet training and bursary funds for serving members or family members of veterans.

“A veteran is anyone who has served in Canadian or Allied forces in a war or reserve capacity,” said Donner.

This year local schools will also have a supply of poppy “stickers” rather than just the traditional poppy flower pinned to a lapel.

When a veterans dies locally, the funeral home typically notifies the Royal Canadian Legion, Robertson Memorial Branch No. 17. The Legion then arranges for a ceremony to take place at the end of the funeral service. A white cross is placed on a stand at the front of the gathering and members of the Legion, and often the public attending, too, each place a poppy on the cross and pay their respects to the veteran, said Donner.

This year the Royal Canadian Legion launched the first “Digital Poppy,” which was sent to Julie Payette, governor general and commander-in-chief of Canada and patron of the Royal Canadian Legion in Ottawa.

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