Every year the Royal Canadian Legion conducts the Poppy Campaign to honour those who serve, and to raise funds in support of veterans and their families.
Canadians are very proud of our veterans and during the period that leads up to Remembrance Day, millions of Canadians wear a poppy as a symbol of national pride and respect, a visual pledge never to forget.
During the Poppy Campaign, thousands of Legion members from coast to coast volunteer their time to distribute poppies and raise millions that will support veterans.
In Williams Lake Joe Bazan is once again the Poppy Campaign Chair for Legion Branch 139 in Williams Lake.
He has been busy getting local volunteers to help sell the poppies throughout the community.
Businesses are also being asked to take wreaths for display and some are also taking boxes of poppies for sale by donation.
Poppy funds are held in trust at every level of the Legion and the use of these funds are strictly controlled.
Through the donations to the Poppy Fund, the Legion provides financial assistance and support to currently serving and retired veterans, including Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, and their families who are in need.
Using poppies to commemorate the war dead began in France, where the red flowers grew on the graves of soldiers.
The famous poem In Flanders Fields written by Canadian John McCrae during the First World War helps make the poppy a symbol of Remembrance, especially in Canada.
Canadians have worn them since the early 1930s to remind us of the horrors of war and to remember those who gave their lives for us.
The poppy is properly worn on the left side, over the heart.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139 in Williams Lake is joining with many other branches in Canada to celebrate Poppy Day, or Remembrance Day November 11.
Ken Wilson is a freelance columnist with the Tribune/Weekend Advisor.
