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Port Alberni’s veterans give back to community with poppy campaign

Port Alberni’s annual poppy campaign has begun. Members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 293 were out in uniform on the last Friday in October to bring poppies and donation cans to nearly 300 locations around the community.
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Royal Canadian Legion Branch 293 executive member Ron Simpson, left, second vice-president Graham Fox and past president and poppy campaign chairman Tim Murphy display some of the 13,000 poppies available for donation in the Alberni Valley. SUSAN QUINN/Alberni Valley News

Port Alberni’s annual poppy campaign has begun. Members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 293 were out in uniform on the last Friday in October to bring poppies and donation cans to nearly 300 locations around the community.

Poppies will be available by donation until Remembrance Day on Nov. 11, poppy campaign chairperson Tim Murphy said.

“We run the poppy campaign once a year,” he said.

“We are normally in the neighbourhood of $20,000 to $30,000 raised.”

Of that, more than 90 percent stays in the community in the form of donations to youth-oriented organizations such as sea cadets and Navy League, as well as numerous other charitable organizations.

Students from Eighth Avenue Learning Centre helped bag 13,000 poppies before distribution. Legion volunteers will be in front of Walmart selling poppies from Monday, Nov. 4 until Saturday, Nov. 9, with a blitz Nov. 8–9 at other locations around the community as well.

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Royal Canadian Legion Branch 293 executive member Ron Simpson, left, second vice-president Graham Fox and past president and poppy campaign chairman Tim Murphy display some of the 13,000 poppies available for donation in the Alberni Valley. SUSAN QUINN/Alberni Valley News


Susie Quinn

About the Author: Susie Quinn

A journalist since 1987, I proudly serve as the Alberni Valley News editor.
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