A local legion hopes its annual fundraiser will bring in six figures in donations in support of Canada’s veterans.
On Saturday, Royal Canadian Legion Centennial Calgary Branch 285 officially kicked off its poppy campaign near the time capsule at Chinook Mall.
“And to lay wreaths for all the fallen soldiers, air force, and sailors that gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have today,” says Joey Bleviss with Branch 285.
Joey Bleviss with the legion says this year there is a dire need for support for returning soldiers who are “suffering from PTSD” and the hope is legions in Calgary will raise a million dollars.
Bleviss says it’s hoping to raise about a million dollars in Calgary.
“It helps us to supply them with prosthetics for those that are injured, food supplies, shelter, medical. All the dire needs, and it’s not only for the veterans but it’s also for their families as well,” says Bleviss.
According to the Legion, the poppy is traditionally worn beginning the last Friday of October until Remembrance Day and has been a national sacred symbol of remembrance since 1921 and was inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields, written by Lt. Col John McCrae in 1915.
This year’s poppy campaign runs until Nov. 11.