聽 聽 聽Thanks to 鈥渟uper, super support鈥� of the Royal Canadian Legion's annual Poppy Campaign, Carlyle Legion Branch #248 is able to support both veterans and their communities year-round.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he Legion's Poppy Campaign is a national campaign,鈥� says Legion treasurer Clareen Makelki. 鈥淓ach Legion branch is expected to do the campaign in their own area. We've carried the campaign out in our area, and our communities' support has been super. This has allowed us to make several very, very good donations over the years that not only benefit our veterans, but also the communities in which they live.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e've recently donated a urinalysis machine to the clinic in Carlyle,鈥� says Makelki. 鈥淭he Legion has also been able to fund two Broda chairs for Moose Mountain Lodge, as well as furniture for the visiting area of the Lodge. A Broda chair is a specialized wheelchair, which allows a client to be moved into different positions within the chair. Last year, we were also able to provide the Arcola Family Health Clinic with a portable ultrasound.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淒uring the past two years, the Legion has funded two days of flying by STARS (Air Ambulance) and years ago, we donated a snowmobile rescue sled to the fire department in Carlyle. In both cases, these contributions allow medical personnel to reach accident victims in remote areas.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Makelki says the Poppy Fund has strict parameters regarding the use of Poppy Fund contributions.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e still do day-to-day fundraising for things like the Legion Hut in Carlyle, because money from the Poppy Campaign must be used towards contributions that benefit veterans and their communities directly. We have a strict set of rules regarding that and those funds cannot be used for funding local branches.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat's why we still raise money by doing small catering jobs-such as selling lunches at the Oilmen's Bonspiel in Carlyle-because we use that (non-Poppy Campaign) money for the Legion Hut.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t not only helps the Legion pay expenses for the Legion Hut, but it has also helped us with some recent improvements there,鈥� adds Makelki. 鈥淭he kitchen has just been completely redone. We had a very generous donations of some kitchen cupboards from Bev Dunn, whose dad, Nels, is a Legion member. Some of our guys-who ae also Legion members-did all of the work. They've just been super.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hat means the Legion Hut has a fully-equipped, newly-renovated kitchen, a large meeting room which has just been rewired and upgraded electrically by 麻豆视频east Electric, who did the work at a substantial discount, which we are so grateful for. The hut also has a small office and storage room, and of course, washrooms,鈥� adds Makelki.
聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he University of Saskatoon has rented the building for a rural medical research study, a weight-loss group meets there, families rent it for large gatherings and dinners, and it's been used several times for safety training. It's available to rent for a low and reasonable rate.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e also have a Wall of Honour paying tribute to our local veterans and a book with information about each one,鈥� she says.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淎ll of the improvements to the hut are thanks to community organizations and individuals who have donated time and/or funds directly to our branch,鈥漵he says.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e want the Legion to be active and out there in our communities,鈥� says Makekli. 鈥淲e do have younger members and they no longer have to be directly related to a veteran. Now we only have two types of veterans: regular members, who are veterans and associate members, who are everyone else.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he Legion tends to be a little bit forgotten, but we are working hard to benefit the community. If anyone is interested in any aspect of our work, we welcome their inquiries.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 For more information, contact Clareen Makelki at: 453-2797 or any Carlyle Legion member.
