The Royal Canadian Legion’s annual poppy campaign donation boxes and volunteers will be in the same familiar locations, but some will offer a new way to donate.
Electronic tap and pay boards which were rolled out on a trial basis in a few locations last year are now available at the two main grocery stores in Liverpool, Sobeys and Superstore. The boards allow you to choose a dollar amount and quickly tap your debit or credit card to make your donation.
President of Mersey Branch 38 Louis Landry says the automatic machines not only make it easier for people to donate, they require fewer volunteers.
“The good thing about that is that then the person doesn’t have to man the table. We don’t have to have somebody watching the money box. It’s there on the grace of everybody. I tell everybody that poppies are free, we’re just asking for a donation,” said Landry.
The Legion is also going green this year, introducing biodegradable poppies and wreaths.
Landry says the Legion will be working its way through the stock of poppies and wreaths they have on hand. He expects many biodegradable wreaths will be on display this season and to see the new, greener poppies next year.
Landry says the Poppy Campaign is crucial to supporting local veterans as every dollar donated goes to support former military and RCMP members living here in Queens.
Landry is also seeing an uptick in the number of volunteers offering to man their donation stations. He credits people being more comfortable dealing with COVID-19 in the community and the efforts of their Poppy Campaign Chair Janet Will.
“Because she spent quite a number of hours on the phone canvassing people, encouraging them to come out and actually volunteer for this year’s poppy fund,” said Landry.
The Legion will be marking two significant events during Remembrance Day ceremonies this year. The first is the passing of Queen Elizabeth. The second is the 80th anniversary of Canadian forces landing in Dieppe. In August of 1942, 5,000 Canadians joined their allies in storming France, 900 of them didn’t make it home.
The Legion will host a series of events around Queens County on Remembrance Day beginning at 9:30am at the Brooklyn Baptist Church.
Several services will run concurrently at 10:45 a.m. at cenotaphs in Liverpool, Milton, Caledonia, Port Mouton and Greenfield.
Services will also be held at noon in Liverpool at the Camp Norway Memorial and at 2:30 p.m. at the newly dedicated 1st Beech Hill RCAF Memorial on Old Port Mouton Road.
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