The Cloverdale Legion is looking for more volunteers.
The 2023 Poppy Campaign officially kicked off Oct. 27 and while the charity effort is well underway, the Legion is still looking for poppy taggers to fill spots in both Cloverdale and Langley.
“Things are going good,” said Susie Chamberlain, Poppy Campaign chair for Branch No. 6. “It’s my first time running it, but I have an awesome team that is supporting me, Shannon and Sue Ostrom.”
Chamberlain said the Legion has had a great start to the campaign, but they are short on people that can go out to businesses and solicit poppy donations.
“I need lots of volunteers to canvas,” said Chamberlain. “We need them to stand in front of the stores with poppy boxes.”
The Legion in Langley closed years ago and Cloverdale and Aldergrove have covered that area ever since.
Chamberlain said many locations remain unfilled and they are only asking for a few hours commitment.
“I could use about another 20 volunteers,” she added. “My board has a lot of empty squares on it. Every open spot on my board is a need that has to be filled.”
Cloverdale Legion member and poppy tagger Wayne King served in the Royal Canadian Navy in the ’60s and ’70s. He served five years on submarines.
King said it’s vital that people support the poppy campaign, both by volunteering their time to solicit donations and by donating money to the campaign.
“I do what I do now, poppy tagging, because there are so many veterans in need,” said King. “Many veterans weren’t as fortunate as I was. And teaching adults about this is important every year.”
King said the trauma soldiers suffer from runs a lot deeper than many people realize. That’s why he poppy tags, to raise money for the men and women who suffer daily.
“I started doing poppies about 20 years ago in Calgary,” said King. “And I started meeting the veterans that were coming back from Afghanistan and it shocked me. A lot of them are hurting. A lot of them suffering.”
King said while he can’t help each individual veteran in need, he can volunteer a couple house each day for two short weeks to poppy tag. And he encouraged everyone else in the community to volunteer their time to help out too.
“I can just do my part,” he added. “But the great thing about the poppy campaign is that every dime that comes in is spent on a veteran.
“That’s what makes me proud to be a poppy volunteer. I’m very proud that for all the effort that everyone puts in, all the money raised goes straight to the veterans that need it.”
This year the Legion continues its Digital Poppy Campaign as well. Donors can visit mypoppy.ca to purchase a digital poppy that can then be shared on social media. The digital poppy has an option to include the name of a veteran, if one chooses.
The Legion also has an online store at poppystore.ca. where visitors can purchase poppy- and Remembrance Day-related merchandise.
The Royal Canadian Legion hands out about 18 million poppies each year and raises about $20 million for charity. The money goes to support veterans and their families. Some of the ways the money is used includes: assisting needy veterans, ex-service members, and their families; purchasing much-needed medical equipment; maintenance of housing and care facilities for veterans, seniors, and disabled persons; funding drop-in centres for adults, meals-on-wheels, transport, and related services.
To volunteer with the Cloverdale Legion for the annual Poppy Campaign, call: 604-574-5300.