October is almost over and the annual poppy campaign for the Carlyle branch of the Royal Canadian Legion will be starting on Oct. 30. Poppy trays will be put out and members of the legion will be visiting the business as usual.
All members will be wearing masks when canvassing. This year the cadets will not be allowed to canvas door to door so we hope that people will take advantage of the poppy trays in the usual businesses.
It has been a very different year for everyone and the legions will not be allowed to have the traditional Remembrance Day service.
The national Remembrance Day service will be live from Ottawa and people are encouraged to watch it. We are planning to have a short service at the cenotaph. We hope to be able to broadcast it so people can listen in their cars but more information will be available before that time.
Many people wonder what the money collected during the poppy campaign is used for. This money is placed in a trust fund and used locally. Over the years money has been used to purchase equipment for the hospital and Moose Mountain Lodge, such as beds and special mattresses, as well equipment used for patient care.
Other donations have been used for STARS Air Ambulance, cadets and fruit baskets for Moose Mountain Lodge. The most important purpose of this fund is to assist veterans who are in need, whether to purchase needed equipment or assist in an emergency.
A study has been started to determine the number of veterans living on the streets in larger cities and the number is high. In Regina alone, the number of veterans in need far exceeds the beds available in shelters. To this end, the legion has set up a program, Leave the Streets Behind, to help homeless veterans.
Another program that has been set up is Paws for Veterans, which gives veterans with PTSD a dog trained to help them deal with this problem.
There are veterans home from Afghanistan with severe physical and mental injuries who need the help of the Legions.
The monies collected through the poppy campaign are used to help in all of these situations. Any questions you may have can be asked of the legion member who canvases your business.
