With Remembrance Day just a few weeks away, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 288 in Airdrie is asking people to generously support its Poppy Fund this year and help local veterans and cadets in need.
The annual Poppy Campaign kicks off on Oct. 28.
According to local campaign chair Bob Woods, all proceeds raised from donations will go to help veterans and cadets right here in the Airdrie community. He said if there’s ever been a time to contribute to the Poppy Fund, this is the year.
“Local veterans are struggling a little more this year,” he confirmed, citing the rising cost of living amid rampant inflation. “Like just your groceries, right? That’s kind of the most basic item. Let alone a bus pass or gas for your car. When you have trouble affording groceries, it really hurts.”
Veterans are proud people, Woods said, and are sometimes reluctant to ask for additional help when needed. So the Legion reaches out to veterans and sees if it can support them by helping pay for little things like additional groceries or transit passes.
Similarly, families are struggling, and local cadets also need the additional fee support the Poppy Fund provides, said Woods.
“The cadets have programs where parents pay a fraction of what the program costs to the youngster,” he explained. “But then they have fees like renting a hall, getting transportation to and from events, things like that. There are fees that cover that so we make a donation to all four cadet groups in Airdrie.”
The Poppy Fund also helps support local scholarships for the kids and grandkids of veterans in the community, Woods added.
There is no other source of revenue for any of these things, he said, besides the Poppy Fund.
Woods felt, generally, Airdrie has been good at supporting the local Legion’s fundraising efforts through donations in the past, but wanted to stress how important that support is in particular this year.
“We certainly have no complaints. We just hope they keep supporting us,” he said.
Donation boxes will be up all over the community as of Friday, but Legion volunteers will also be setting up and manning tables at Airdrie’s Walmart, Save On Foods, Safeway, and Canadian Tire stores to sell poppies and other items to commemorate Remembrance Day. These tables would have debit transaction capabilities, Woods confirmed. Like the donation boxes, all funds raised from the tables will go toward the local Poppy Fund.
“Every year we have a few stores that ask us to bring our tables,” he explained. “So we do that. We have volunteers who sit behind the tables and will sell you poppies, pins, hats, scarves, and a few other things depending if you (come) early or late. You (come) early you might find a watch or a pocket knife. If you go late, these are all gone.”
In addition to supporting local veterans and cadets through the Poppy Fund, Woods also hoped more people in the community will lend their moral support to veterans by attending this year’s Nov. 11 Remembrance Day ceremonies at the local Cenotaph or Genesis Place Recreation Centre.
“We expect a better turnout than in previous years simply because there is no more COVID (restrictions),” he said.
