Wear a poppy this Memorial Day weekend

American Legion Auxiliary Unit 82 in La Plata encourages Charles County residents to honor fallen warriors on National Poppy Day.

Honor our fallen warriors and contribute to the continuing needs of our veterans this Memorial Day weekend. The American Legion Auxiliary Unit 82 will be distributing bright red poppies May 27-28 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Giant in La Plata, and at Chick-fil-A in La Plata on May 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in exchange for a donation. You may also stop by the American Legion Post 82 at 6330 Crain Highway, La Plata, to pick up a poppy and make a donation.

The Flanders Fields poppy has become an internationally known and recognized symbol of the lives sacrificed in war and the hope that none died in vain. Wearing the poppy throughout Memorial Day weekend is one small way to honor and remember our fallen warriors who willingly served our nation and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We must never forget.

The poppy also honors hospitalized and disabled veterans who handcraft many of the red, crepe paper flowers. Making the poppies provides a financial and therapeutic benefit to the veterans, as well as a benefit to thousands of others through the donations collected.

When the American Legion family adopted the poppy as its memorial flower in the early 1920s, the blood-red icon became an enduring symbol of honor for the sacrifices of our veterans from the battlefields of France in World War I to today’s global war on terror. The American Legion Auxiliar y raises funds each year distributing poppies throughout the nation, with 100 percent of the funds raised going directly to help veterans.

For nearly a centur y, American Legion Auxiliar y (ALA) members have dedicated themselves to meeting the needs of our nation’s veterans, militar y and their families both here and abroad. They volunteer millions of hours yearly. As part of the world’s largest women’s ser vice organization, ALA volunteers across the countr y also step up to honor veterans and military through annual scholarships and with ALA Girls State programs, teaching high school juniors to be leaders grounded in patriotism and Americanism.

The American Legion Family at Post 82 in La Plata hosts dinners and other fundraisers to support our veterans. Thank you to our community for supporting our functions — by doing so you are helping us help our veterans.

Kitty Dawson, La Plata The writer is the poppy chairman for the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 82.