The poppy campaign in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows is kicking off this Friday, Oct. 25.
Judy Ballard, with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 88 in Maple Ridge, and head of the local poppy campaign, is hoping to fill as many of the poppy tagging shifts as possible.
"Another poppy campaign is here to help our veterans and community," she said, noting that it is a time to reflect on the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and the peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, and other peacekeeping missions and to remember the soldiers who died and those who still suffer with injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Poppies are worn in the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, to honour Canada's fallen soldiers and funds raised to go to support veterans and their families.
Funds raised in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows will stay in the community.
Last year the campaign raised around $85,000, however, Ballard said, with the economy the way it is this year, she just wants people to know that regardless of how much they donate, every little bit helps the community and the veterans.
Ballard is currently filling the tagging shifts and she has been busy putting the school packages together with stickers, poppies, and donation containers.
"We definitely need a lot of volunteers," she said.
This year there are about nine stores across Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows where taggers will be standing outside with boxes of poppies.
Firefighters in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows always fill in shifts that remain vacant, as well as Ballard's executives.
But, anyone can volunteer, said Ballard, adding the more who volunteer their time with a box, the more money that comes in for the veterans.
Each shift is two hours and taggers will be out from noon until 6 p.m. or until 8 p.m. – depending on what day of the week it is.
There will also be options to tap a donation and poppy boxes will be located inside businesses as well. There will be three boxes dedicated to tap donations: one at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 88 office which is open from noon until 4 p.m. at 12101 224th Street, Maple Ridge; the cadets will have the other two with one being at the ValleyFair Mall Save-On-Foods and the other at Westgate Shopping Centre Save-On-Foods.
Veterans are also preparing to go to the schools and talk to the students about Remembrance Day.
Executive Officer Lieutenant Navy Ron Juliusson, with the sea cadets in Maple Ridge, will be poppy tagging along with the air, navy, and army cadets when the campaign kicks off Friday, Oct. 25.
"It's very important for us to support the legion and remember those who fought for us to be able to do this. All the cadets are greatly involved," he explained.
This year they will be doing "tri-service" poppy tagging, he noted, so instead of each cadet group doing it on their own, they will be doing it all together.
Master Cadet Daniil Mashchenko with the sea cadets, said he believes we should be grateful for the sacrifices that were made for our future and for our lives by Canadian veterans, each and every day that we live.
Master Corporal Jaden Bont and Sergeant Danielle Grafu, both with the army cadets, and Flight Sergeant Mark Szucs with the air cadets, echoed Mashchenko's sentiments.
"Every single day that we are here and we are in a free country we should celebrate because in other countries, sometimes, they aren't as free," said Bont, adding that he is grateful that he was born in Canada.
Grafu added that we should be grateful for the country that we live in and for the people that fought for our freedom today.
Grateful for the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for us to have a free country and free lives, said Szucs.
"All these things make it so we remember," said Ballard. "We remember what our war heroes went through and what we hope doesn't happen again," she said.
The first poppy was received by the Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, the Right Honourable Mary Simon, on Wednesday, Oct. 16, during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Simon received the first poppy from Mr. Berkley Lawrence, Dominion President of the Royal Canadian Legion.
"Every year, from the end of October until Remembrance Day, tens of millions of Canadians wear a poppy. We honour those who served, those who are serving today, and those who never made it home," said Simon.
The first poppy will be received by the City of Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24. City of Pitt Meadows Mayor Nicole MacDonald will receive the first poppy at 1 p.m. the same day.
