Starting today, volunteers will be out around town collecting donations in exchange for a poppy as the Royal Canadian Legion kicks of its 1998 campaign.
With the funds, the Royal Canadian Legion Br. 29 assists veterans and the children of veterans when the need arises, contributing to items such as wheelchairs, health care when they need to travel, or paying for meals for those veterans travelling through town who may be down on their luck.
“That’s not general knowledge,” said poppy chairman Roly Crawford, noting the benevolent committee was careful to keep specific information confidential.
The local poppy committee also contributed a hot food table and two electric lift chairs to Rainycrest Home for the Aged here, and $1,000 was donated to the Red River Flood Relief Fund.
“That was the only time the money has gone away from the community,” Crawford said.
In Fort Frances, 1996 marked the first year donations topped the $10,000 mark.
“Last year, we exceeded that,” Crawford noted. “This year, because of the mill strike, we’re not sure. [But] we get generous contributions from [businesses].”
Crawford said the poppy campaign began in 1921 as a way to help those returning from war.
But it isn’t only about collecting donations. With the number of veterans dwindling, he stressed the poppy is a symbol of remembrance–remembering those who fought and sacrificed their lives for the freedom of future generations.
“They are a symbol of the blood that has been spilt, especially in the First World War,” he explained.
For those who can’t remember, the Legion urges people to think about the many people who fought to create a world better than the one they knew–their desire for peace and freedom was more important to them than life itself.
Meanwhile, the Legion is looking for volunteers to help with the poppy campaign. Anyone interested can contact Crawford at 274-8429.
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