Poppy Campaign back in public

• Volunteers happy to say 'hello' again
• All about community service...in the community

For the first time in two years, we have been able to say ‘hello’, have a chat, and get our poppy directly from the countless volunteers who have always been part of the weeks leading up to Remembrance Day.

Last year, with heightened social distancing restrictions around the pandemic, the Poppy Campaign was very different with trays of the iconic flower left unattended at stores or banks and the public encouraged to make donations online. That has now changed.

“It’s great this year that we now have the opportunity to be out here handing out poppies and assisting the Legion,” Rodney Earl, the commanding officer of the Kelowna Army Cadets told Kelowna10. “It’s wonderful for me as the adult, and to have our cadets out here, doing some community service.”

For Earl, it feels good to be able to engage with the public again.

“Just saying ‘hello, how are you’, and just having a bit of chatter. You meet some ex-cadets and [also] hear about the public’s connections to the military,” he said.

The poppy celebrates its 100th year this year and while there continues to be limited gatherings – there is once again no Remembrance Day ceremony at the Kelowna cenotaph this year – monies raised from donations are no less important. The Legion will distribute funds to non-profit endeavors like veterans’ assistance for those injured in combat, scholarships for vets and current serving members, the KGH Foundation and the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps.

There will be a Remembrance Day service in West Kelowna at Royal LePage Place, although with attendance restricted to half capacity which will total 750 people.

Anyone aged over 12 needs to show proof of vaccination which may result in delays getting in, so the public is advised to get there early for the 10:45 a.m. start