Poppy taggers still needed for Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows campaign

Taggers are still needed to collect donations for this years poppy campaign.

So far a little more than $26,000 has been raised, said Sherry Boudreau, poppy chairman for local legion Branch 88. About $4,000 more than last year at the same point in the campaign.

However, the four poppy point-of-sale boxes for donations made by tapping either a credit or bank card – that were to be placed at two Tim Horton’s locations and two Starbucks locations – didn’t work.

“It was extremely frustrating and very upsetting because that’s a lot of money lost,” said Boudreau.

Despite the loss of the boxes, the response has been very overwhelming, she added.

“I don’t know if we’re going to hit the target that I’m kind of aiming for, but we might come close,” Boudreau remarked, noting that there will still be donations coming on Remembrance Day itself, plus the donations that will come in from businesses and the schools where donation boxes were left.

READ MORE: Poppy campaign kicks off this Friday across Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

Last year the local legion, which is the largest branch in the country, raised $82,000 – four thousand more than the previous year.

Boudreau needs taggers all day Tuesday and Wednesday at about a half dozen locations across Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

To sign up for a tagging shift go to legion Branch 88 at 12101 224 St. in Maple Ridge.

ALSO: Royal Canadian Legion cancels official Remembrance Day ceremonies in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

Non-members simply have to get signed in at the door and show their vaccination passport to get in. Then they can go straight to the poppy table and sing up, explained Boudreau.

During a tagging shift a mask must be worn.

The local campaign kicked off Friday, Oct. 29, a few days after the national campaign kickoff on Oct. 25.