Legion’s National Poppy Campaign Underway
Volunteers across the country are ramped up for The Royal Canadian Legion’s 2023 National Poppy Campaign, which launched on Friday, October 27.
“The National Poppy Campaign is instrumental to our work,” says Bruce Julian, Dominion President. “Funds raised allow us to support our Veterans, their families, and communities. Our focus on Remembrance during this time is also an important part of our mission to never forget Canada’s fallen.”
Boxes, Biodegradable Poppies and Wreaths
Traditional Poppy boxes will be available at thousands of locations across the country for cash donations and lapel Poppy distribution. The Legion’s modern “Pay Tribute” tap to donate electronic boxes will once again be featured and donors will also be able to give online through the Legion’s national website.
Expect to see more biodegradable Poppies and wreaths, crafted from a variety of natural materials including paper, cotton velvet, plaster, moss, and bamboo. Permanent poppy centre pins are also now available to help keep your poppy on your lapel. Visit www.poppystore.ca for more.
Poppy Stories: Connecting with fallen Veterans
A large part of the Poppy Campaign and Remembrance period is about paying respects to our fallen Veterans. The Legion is proud to present the next iteration of “Poppy Stories.” Through this initiative, people can visit www.poppystories.ca to scan a lapel Poppy with a smartphone and be taken to meaningful short stories about everyday Canadians who dedicated their lives to serving our country. This year, which marks the 75th anniversary of the first United Nations peacekeeping mission, the focus will be on an additional 50 new Poppy Stories, highlighting the lives of Veterans who took part in peacekeeping assignments.
Serving Veterans and promoting Remembrance
Close to $20 million is donated during the National Poppy Campaign each year. These funds go directly into the Legion’s work to assist Canada’s Veterans and their families and help foster Remembrance of our fallen. Read more about how funds help.
Stay tuned: National Ceremony, Ceremony locator
On November 11, the Legion will hold the country’s National Remembrance Day Ceremony which will be live-streamed from its Facebook page. Legion volunteers will help organize many other local events. The Legion’s Ceremony Locator found at Legion.ca, continues to be populated by Branches across the country, to help people find a Legion-supported Remembrance ceremony close to them.
About The Royal Canadian Legion
Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With close to 250,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time with their branches, our strength is in our numbers.
As is the tradition in Canada, people attending Remembrance Day ceremonies leave their poppies at the base of the cenotaph at the end of the service, as was done last year during the ceremony in Richmond.
