ELORA – The poppy campaign at Legion Branch 229 here began on Oct. 29 and will feature a few changes from pre-pandemic times.
Poppy chair Jim Paterson said cadets will be assisting the campaign by soliciting donations outside the Tim Hortons and the Gorge Restaurant in Elora.
Legion members will be collecting donations outside the Beer Store on Saturdays and Sundays before Nov. 11.
The Elora Legion has one automated device that allows someone to make a donation by tapping a debit or credit card for $2, $5, or $10 amounts.
Paterson said they are trying it out at the Elements Casino Grand River as it has a power source and internet connection necessary for the device.
“It’s the busiest location,” Paterson said. “It will take a while to see if people can grasp it. This year is more of an experiment than anything.”
Paterson said there are also traditional boxes inside the casino and most Elora businesses have taken boxes of poppies as well.
He stressed poppies are not sold; rather donations are solicited but anyone can have a poppy.
The Legion is also doing a mailout campaign again this year to everyone with a N0B 1S0 postal code – some 4,200 pieces of mail containing two poppies and an envelope addressed to the Elora Legion.
“The response last year was fantastic,” Paterson said, adding proceeds support the Legion’s local initiatives.
‘Visual bonus’
As an added visual bonus this year, Paterson said the Legion will be using excess poppies from the St. John’s Anglican Church display on Henderson Street and “putting them on the side of the Legion,” Paterson said.
Paterson said the Legion will prepare a financial report on the poppy campaign and the result will be printed in the Advertiser some time in December.
“A lot of people donate to us. We want everyone to see where the money goes,” he said.
