Legion counting on public to donate
Poppy fund aids veterans, their families
Poppies are free for the taking, but a representative of the Royal Canadian Legion is asking people to consider putting a donation in the tray as they take a symbolic red flower to pin next to their heart.
Valerie Mitchell-Veinotte, executive director of the Royal Canadian Legion Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command, said volunteers with the notfor-profit organization who often ask for donations won't be allowed to stay with the poppy trays in malls or stores due to the pandemic.
“We have many partners in the business community and corporately who are accepting our poppy trays and our poppies without those being manned this year,” MitchellVeinotte said.
Mitchell-Veinotte expressed her gratitude for the donations made to the poppy trust fund, which may be used for grants for food, heating costs, prescription medication, emergency shelter and many other needs for veterans, including the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP and their families in need.
During the poppy trust fund fiscal year of 2018/ 2019, Nova Scotia branches raised just over $771,000 after expenses.
However, Mitchell-Veinotte said the group expects to see a drop in donations on a community level.
“I don't think it necessarily relates to people staying closer to home though,” she said.
“I believe that the drop will be realized because businesses don't find themselves in a financial position whereby they can purchase the wreaths and make donations that they certainly have in the past. But I believe we will still have Nova Scotians making donations to receive poppies.”
Mitchell-Veinotte stressed the importance of the poppy trust fund to MLAs during the Nova Scotia veterans affairs committee meeting at Province House on Tuesday.
“Please encourage Nova Scotians to support the poppy campaign this year,” she said.
“It is solely the poppy campaign funds that are raised that support veterans and their families. Without that, the supports that we're able to provide as a volunteer not-for-profit charitable organization will be greatly reduced.”
Services on Remembrance Day will also look different this year due to the pandemic.
This year, ceremonies across the province will be limited to invitation-only guest lists with fewer than 50 people, but local branches are hoping to provide a livestream of the service on Facebook.
Mitchell-Veinotte said the command, which is responsible for the ceremony at Grand Parade in Halifax, is hoping to livestream that event as well.
Don McCumber, the command's poppy and remembrance chair, said the group will also try to include veterans who may not be able to get out to a local service.
“If there doesn't happen to be some type of a remembrance service in the community, an attempt will be made to go to the facilities and perhaps have one outside while they can watch from inside and make them feel part of the remembrance,” McCumber said.
But McCumber wanted to remind Nova Scotians that you can take a minute to remember veterans any day of the year.
t“As we all know, they did so much for us, made the supreme sacrifice and we do remember them at this time but I think it's very important to remember them every day of the year, not just during remembrance,” he said.