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Orangeville Legion raises $44,000 for veterans

November 27, 2020   ·   0 Comments

This year’s Poppy Campaign, hosted by the Orangeville Legion, raised approximately $44,000, which goes directly towards supporting veterans. 

Around 125 donation boxes were setup in the community and volunteers were able to canvas at Walmart, Home Hardware, Canadian Tire, Zehrs and Sobeys, which is significantly less locations than last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It wasn’t as good as last year, because of the pandemic we have fewer people canvassing and fewer places that we could go and canvas, we really depended on the countertop boxes this year,” said Poppy Trust Chair, Chuck Simpson. 

“Our president had dealt with the Town and public health. We had to follow very, very strict rules.” 

Last year the Legion was able to raise around $55,000, which is $11,000 more than what was donated in 2020, but Simpson said he’s happy with what was raised, considering all the COVID-19 restrictions. 

“It was actually a good year for what we got. It was a lot of hard work,” he noted. 

Simpson said he’s grateful to Orangeville and the surrounding area for their generosity to the Poppy Campaign year after year. 

The funds raised go towards a trust that’s distributed strictly for supporting veteran services and their families. 

Simpson is a veteran himself and spent over 37 years in the military. When we he was discharged he had hearing issues and it was the Legion who helped him get a hearing aid. This is just one example of how the Poppy Fund supports veterans. 

“It’s readily available to the veterans who may, due to financial needs, or some special needs, needs help right then and there,” Simpson explained. 

“We also do bursary sponsors for veterans and their children, their grandchildren and their great grandchildren.” 

Through the Poppy Fund, 21 bursaries were doled out to individuals heading off the post-secondary schooling to help offset some of their expenses in 2020. 

The fund also supports the Legion’s service dog program, which is for veterans with PTSD. 

The Orangeville Legion is currently open three days a week, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and the Christmas Dinner is cancelled this year due to COVID-19. 

“We have to follow what Mr. Ford and his medical people in Dufferin County say,” Simpson noted. 

He told the Citizen, Orangeville Legion has seen wonderful financial support through the COVID-19 pandemic by people out in the community, who are concerned about it’s sustainability .

“There have been so many generous people who have come in and donated to keep the lights on and for that we’re very appreciative,” Simpson lauded.

“There’s not an over abundance of everything out there, people don’t have their jobs or they had to cut back on their jobs. That just tells you how grateful and how generous the people in Orangeville and the community are and we’re ever so thankful for it.”

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