As Remembrance Day approaches, many Canadians will support their local legions and honour the memory of our nation’s servicemen and women by purchasing and wearing poppies.
Locally, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 288 officially kicked off its poppy campaign with a ceremony Oct. 20. During the ceremony, campaign co-ordinator Lorraine Card said the campaign will be very different this year.
“We desperately need volunteers to come and sit at tables in the stores,” Card said. “We really did go and beg at the various stores to let us come in. Because of COVID-19, a lot of people said no.”
The annual campaign, according to legion.ca, supports local veterans and their families. Funds are used as grants for food, clothing, housing accommodation, veteran transition programs and prescription medications.
Card said the legion has been given permission to set up stands at Walmart, Save-On-Foods, the Airdrie Registry and Costco in Balzac from Oct. 31 to Nov. 10. The stands will feature poppies and other items including pins, ribbons and hats for purchase.
According to Card, 150 shifts need to be filled during the campaign. Anyone interested in volunteering can visit the Legion at 132 Ave N.E. Volunteers will be required to wear masks.
“We’ll be trying to keep everything as safe as we can,” Card said.
According to Card, fewer poppy donation boxes will be placed around Airdrie this year due to concerns they might be stolen, and because “people don’t usually carry cash or change.”
Card noted some of Airdrie’s youngest residents will support this year’s poppy campaign. Of the 26 schools in Airdrie, 25 have joined the cause to help raise money for the Legion. The schools will participate in a literary and poster contest for students. The contest invites youth from Grades 1 through 12 to submit creative works that are focused on the theme of remembrance.
“We are really thrilled that all of the schools have stepped up,” Card said. “They are so excited to be a part of the poppy campaign. We raised a ton of money through the schools last year.”
Because of COVID-19, school assembly’s that would normally be held to support the Legion couldn’t take place this year. Card said the Legion has teamed up with Mayor Peter Brown’s office and Bert Church LIVE Theatre to produce a commercial that will also help fundraising efforts.
To get involved or learn more about the poppy campaign, call the Legion at 403-948-3000.
