2020 Poppy Campaign Launch
Supporting Veterans with Innovative Ways to Contribute
For immediate release (Oct 29, 2020): The Royal Canadian Legion - Alberta-NWT Command is pleased to announce that the 2020 Poppy Campaign will officially launch on October 30, 2020.
The annual Poppy Campaign encourages Canadians to wear a poppy in honour of those who have fought for and served Canada and whose contributions have guaranteed the freedoms that we all enjoy today. The Poppy Campaign is The Royal Canadian Legion’s largest fund-raising exercise, and all proceeds go directly to supporting Canada’s Veterans and their families.
“This year has been a challenge for all Canadians and especially for Canada’s Veterans” said John Mahon, President, AB-NWT Command of The Royal Canadian Legion. “Many of our Veterans and their families face ongoing challenges transitioning to civilian life because of mental and physical injuries endured
The Royal Canadian Legion is Canada’s foremost Veterans assistance and advocacy organization. We are the People behind the Poppy and our mission is to support Veterans across a wide range of services such as:
• Assistance in the transition to civilian life;
• Supporting Veterans’ dependents and families;
• Promoting remembrance; and while in service. Albertans’ generous contributions to the Poppy Campaign ensure that the Legion can continue to provide them with financial, emotional, health and research supports to change their lives for the better.”
For 2020, the Poppy Campaign has adapted to ensure that Albertans can continue to give generously despite necessary public health restrictions. “This year, we really wanted to provide Albertans with electronic options to make their contributions to the Poppy Campaign”
• Service and support in communities across the country.
Every day, we work to change the lives of Veterans for the better. All too often, Veterans leave the Forces and face daily challenges directly related to their service or that their training and experience has not prepared them for civilian life. These challenges can range from employment, housing, income insecurity and social integration due to physical and mental health issues. said Tammy Wheeler, Executive Director, AB-NWT Command of The Royal Canadian Legion. “We know that many people want to reduce their physical interaction with others outside of their cohorts. They may feel uncomfortable handling cash or simply want to reduce their visits to locations where Poppy boxes would normally be located. This year we are encouraging Albertans to make their donations on-line or through our text-to- donate options on their mobile phones.”
While there will be a reduced number of Poppy boxes throughout the community, Albertans are encouraged to donate to the Poppy Fund online at: www. poppyboxabnwt.com
Command and Branch Service Officers help Veterans by working directly with them to identify and meet any needs a Veteran may have, from basic life necessities such as emergency grocery cards or rent money, to identifying and applying for entitled government pensions or disability compensation and referrals for specialized treatments for physical and mental health challenges. And, we do this without any financial assistance from the government.