The Royal Canadian Legion’s poppy campaign has officially kicked off in London.
After making a donation, Mayor Matt Brown received the first poppy for the City of London at the Legion’s annual Pinning of The First Poppy event.
The ceremony took place in front of the cenotaph in Victoria Park. The structure was recently renovated, and now acknowledges the conflict in Afghanistan.
Brown said receiving the first poppy is a privilege.
“It’s a solemn day for me. It reminds how important it is as a community for us to come together every Remembrance Day to tell our veterans to tell the men and women who served in the Canadian Forces that we will never forget their sacrifice,” he said.
As of Friday, Oct. 27, poppies will be available at the LCBO and Beer Stores, as well as many other stores around the city.
While donations are encouraged, they aren’t required for someone to wear a poppy.
Zone commander Caspar Koevoets says much of the proceeds go directly to helping veterans.
“That could be the veterans at Parkwood, or that could be veterans who are in trouble, current veterans who need our help. Any veteran. We don’t make a distinction between old veterans or young veterans. They’re all veterans. A lot of them are under a great deal of stress because of the work they do,” he said.
Koevoets adds some of the money will go to helping local legions establish a home for homeless veterans in London.
The Victory branch alone has ordered 40,000 poppies for the two-week campaign.
This year is particularly important for veterans: 2017 is Canada’s 150th birthday, and it also marks the 100-year anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge.
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