WESTLOCK — As is tradition each year, the Royal Canadian Legion’s annual poppy campaign kicked off in Westlock the morning of Oct. 27.
Legion president Dave Hall said the official launch to the poppy campaign always takes place on the last Friday of each October, though he noted Gov.-Gen. Mary Simon was presented the first poppy of the national campaign at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Oct. 20.
A group of about 25 volunteers stopped in at the Westlock Legion on Friday morning to pick up wreaths and poppy boxes, which in turn were delivered to local businesses.
While some businesses request the wreaths, other locations will host poppy boxes that allow visitors to pick up a poppy and give a small donation in exchange.
However, it should be stressed that if you need a poppy and have no money to give, you can still pick one up.
“Nobody buys a poppy. It’s all by donation. If somebody … doesn’t have money, take a poppy,” said Hall.
“Everybody seems to think that we sell them. We don’t.”
Though the Legion does administer the funds raised through the campaign, Hall was quick to stress that they do not use the money for expenses relating to the Legion’s operations.
“The money is used to help veterans and veterans’ families,” he said, noting that all uses of poppy campaign funds must be approved by command.
In the past, the Westlock Legion has put money towards purchasing mattresses at the Westlock Healthcare Centre, defibrillators placed around town and the “Jaws of Life” used by the fire department.
Other uses for poppy funds include shelter, clothing and food for Legions, assistance with transitioning to civilian life, and investments in research/programming to support the physical and mental health of veterans.
It should be noted that this year also marks the 75th anniversary of the first United Nations peacekeeping missions, and the Legion is marking the occasion by honouring the 123 Canadians who have been killed while serving as peacekeepers.
By visiting the Poppy Stories website (poppystories.ca) on a mobile phone and scanning a poppy, Canadians can read short stories about one of the members who took part in those peacekeeping missions.
