The Royal Canadian Legion’s Poppy Campaign started on Friday, Oct. 31, but the demand for poppies came much earlier than normal this year.
The early interest was a result of the shooting in Ottawa and the hit-and-run in Quebec, said Inga Kruse, executive director of the Royal Canadian Legion BC/Yukon.
“Usually people are happy to wait for the campaign to start,” said Kruse.
Although the demand for poppies started before the campaign’s official launch, Kruse said the Legion was not able to raise money through the sales until last Friday.
“BY our own bylaws, we aren’t permitted to accept donations until the campaign formally starts.”
However, she is sure people who picked up their poppies early will return to donate.
“People are so good that was,” said Kruse. “It’s about commemoration, it’s about remembrance. We just want everyone to be wearing one.”
In order for bylaws such as this to be changed Kruse said it has to be brought forward at a national conference, the next one being in June 2016.
“But I don’t think that we will see a branch come forward with that,” said Kruse, adding the poppy campaign takes immense amounts of work and organization.
Besides donating with cash to the Legion, people can also text to donate to the Poppy Campaign by texting “poppy” to 20222 from a cell phone to donate $5.
