Two Royal Canadian Legion branches have gotten a much needed donation towards their Poppy Trust Fund.
Freeman Lumber presented two $1,000 cheques to Legion Branch 38 Liverpool and Branch 24 Bridgewater on Friday to help support veterans in need.
Concern has surrounded this year’s poppy campaign due to the financial effects and safety restraints of COVID-19, but when management at Freeman Lumber heard the Poppy Trust Fund helps veterans directly, the company decided to chip in.
“A lot of people, including my own family, have veterans in we care for,” said Steven Freeman, Manager of Freeman Lumber on why the donation.
“Remembrance Day is a pretty important holiday, especially to them, so we just wanted to make sure the fundraiser was successful this year.”
Like many other non-profit fundraising campaigns, Freeman expects the poppy campaign will have a rough go of it this year due to COVID-19.
“No one really told us there was a need, but we thought there may be,” he said.
“We just wanted to do what we could to raise awareness to the issue. Like I said, we need to make sure our veterans are taken care of.”
Freeman hopes this donation will inspire other companies and individuals who have faired out better than others during the pandemic to consider donating as well to ensure veterans on the South Shore are taken care of.
The Poppy Campaign is the main contributor towards the Legion’s Poppy Trust Fund, which is used to provide support for veterans with whatever they need – and this year, they need a new bus.
Wayne Thorburne, Bridgewater Legion president, says he’s concerned they won’t be able to raise the funds needed for the new bus.
Legion Branches on the South Shore are using this year’s poppy funds to replace the bus used to transport veterans at Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital for day trips and external activities.
“It gets them out in the community,” said Wayne Thorburne, president of the Bridgewater Legion.
“They’ve been up to New Ross farm for day outings, and that is important to them. We must have that bus ready for them.”
The Royal Canadian Legion has partnered with the provincial government and the Department of Health to split the cost of the new bus, which sits around $120,000. The deal is a 70/30 split, leaving the legion with $36,000 to pay out.
Not getting the bus is not an option, as their current bus is quickly expiring.
“The last time that bus we’ve got now was road checked, it cost us $16,000 just to get it to pass,” said Larry Weagle, president of the Liverpool Legion.
“We’ve been informed it will not pass this year, and likely won’t make the Spring.”
The need to replace the bus coupled with the concern of not being able to fundraise due to COVID-19 has pushed the Liverpool legion to begin thinking outside the box to raise funds.
To help raise funds during the pandemic, the Liverpool Legion are selling Remembrance Day themed masks, complete with a picture of a poppy on one side, and ‘Lest We Forget’ on the other.
“We had a person come to us and say ‘We’d like to make a mask for you fellas for your poppy campaign so you can raise money for it,'” said Weagle.
“So we got them masks made up, and we are doing pretty good on them. Every mask we sell, we make $4. However, we haven’t gotten any feedback from the higher authorities yet, but the sales are really helping out.”
The masks, along with most poppy and wreath sales will go towards the new bus, something they are hoping to have up and running for the veterans before the current one is taken off the road.
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