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GIVING BACK: Royal Canadian Legion's Poppy Campaign arrives in Port Alberni

Volunteers needed for Poppy Campaign starting on Oct. 25
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Poppy chair Shannon Doré and branch president Roy Buchanan deliver $1,000 to Abbeyfield seniors residence and $4,000 to the Salvation Army.

The Alberni Valley Royal Canadian Legion Br. 293 is proud to have continued Legion services to our community in excess of 90 years.

While the Legion was originally formed by First World War veterans, membership is now open to all. We serve the community by providing a comfortable, welcoming place to gather for a drink and conversation in the lounge. You need not be a member to come into the lounge; we are open to all from 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.

Annual membership costs $70 as of Jan. 1, 2025. If you purchase before then you will get it at the current rate of $60. Although everyone is welcome to visit our branch with no restrictions, we still encourage our patrons to become members. Over the last 10 years, our membership has dwindled from more than 700 to a present-day shy of 300. So consider becoming a member (the cost to you is a little more than $5 a month) its not much more than a cup of coffee.

A lot of work has occurred inside and outside our branch over the last year. Most notably, a new mural has been painted on our west wall. This mural just hits you between the eyes in a good way as you cross the Clutesi bridge on River Road. It’s a great addition to the building and the city. It certainly enhances the visual effect of the west wall and makes the branch much more visible. It was a great job by our artist Kelly Everill. Now if only we could get a few more customers through the doors to help pay the bills.

Come on down to the Legion to volunteer for and participate in the many Legion activities such as pool or darts, bingo two or three times each week, card games, meat draws, entertainment events, dinners and serving on the executive, or just for a cool beverage. Yes, we are always looking for volunteers to serve on our branch executive!

Branch 293 has contributed more than $87,000 to the community in 2023 and so far in 2024 we have contributed $77,000 with more to come. Recipient organizations include the Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, several seniors homes, the cadets, Ty Watson House, the ADSS band, art and music programs, the elementary school breakfast program, West Coast General Hospital Foundation, and bursaries for graduating ADSS students.

Events that bring money into the branch allow us to keep the heat and lights on and keep us operating and viable. These have not been well-supported by the general public. Events like Hong Kong Cowboy, Cher Tribute Show and a recent Celtic Chaos show all had to be cancelled because of poor ticket sales. All of these are high-quality shows and well-received in other locations. Despite extensive advertising, we could not get the attention of the general public. So please when you see our future shows advertised, we hope you will choose to spend your hard-earned money with us remembering it helps our ability to give back to the community in the future.

This Oct. 25 marks the commencement of our annual Poppy Campaign. Trays of poppies with a donation container will be available at local businesses and civic facilities. Proudly show your respect; wear a poppy and contribute to this campaign. Remember, all funds raised donated go back into our community. We are always looking for volunteers willing to man our poppy sales stations. We have volunteer sign-up sheets on our bar in the lounge — don’t be shy.

On Nov. 11, Remembrance Day, we will again host a ceremony at Glenwood Centre commencing at 10:30 a.m. Arrive early to get a good seat. Following the ceremony there will be a reception at the branch on Victoria Quay

For more information, call us at 250-723-5042 or email us at rclav293@shaw.ca.



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