The Royal Canadian Legion’s annual poppy campaign in Sarnia is in full swing.
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“Folks are generally very, very generous and very receptive,” Branch 62’s Les Jones said of the campaign that started Oct. 25.
Money raised through the annual campaign goes mostly to help veterans and their families, he said, with some going to help cadets with equipment for training.
Poppy boxes are set up in commercial areas across the city, Jones said. “We’ll be ending on Nov. 12 when we pick them up.”
About 75 volunteers, including sea, air and army cadets, also pinned poppies at local commercial sites Friday and Saturday, he said.
“The cadet corps helps out immensely, and what also is good to see is we get a lot of the youth who are in high school, their volunteer hours,” Jones said.
The Sarnia poppy campaign raised about $86,000 last year, nearly on par with the $84,000 raised in 2022..
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An annual candlelight vigil at the cenotaph outside the Front Street Legion hall also raises money for the campaign, he said.
For a minimum $5 donation, people can buy solar candles — new this year — for the vigil, he said. They come with labels for donors to add messages.
People can “either come the night of the vigil and (place) it, or we will place it for them,” he said.
The vigil starts at 7 pm at city hall, followed by a walk to the Legion cenotaph for a short service, where candles will be placed and cadets will stand vigil overnight, he said.
“Basically at sunrise, it ends,” he said.
Sarnia’s annual Remembrance Day service follows on Nov. 11, at 11 am at the Veterans Park cenotaph, he said.
A parade starts marching from the Legion to Veterans Park about 10:30 am, he said.
Legion officials also attended recent advance Remembrance Day services in Point Edward and Petrolia Nov. 3, he said, and will be at Aamjiwnaang First Nation’s service at the First Nations cenotaph on Tashmoo Avenue Friday at 11 am
“We try to attend as many remembrance events as possible around the area,” Jones said.
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