As Remembrance Day approaches, the Royal Canadian Legion is once again fundraising for the Poppy Fund, which goes to financially support veterans if they require it.
Legion Branch 54 Secretary Bobbie Vangurp says, in addition to the usual physical poppy boxes appearing around town, a digital poppy is also available in exchange for a donation.
“This year we have the digital poppy, you’ll text ‘Poppy4GP’ to ‘20222,’” she says. “Due to COVID-19 I think they pushed the program a little bit faster than what command was going to originally go with.”
She adds the Poppy Fund helps support veterans when they need it, such as when they need money to pay bills, buy groceries, or pay for medical assistance.
Branch 54 Poppy Chair, Joanne Wood says there is, in fact, a proper way to wear a poppy. She says it is acceptable to wear a poppy on your hat, but traditionally, the best way to wear a poppy is on your lapel on the left, over your heart.
“It’s kind of frowned upon to put the Canadian flag on the inside,” she adds.
In 2019, the Poppy Fund brought in approximately $50,000 locally.