Delta Legions are expecting a major loss of donations during this year’s poppy drive fundraising campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the first wave of COVID-19 the Ladner Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion shut down all operations for three months, reopening at the end of June. During that time Delta residents raised approximately $21,000 through a combination of a GoFundMe campaign and donations dropped off at the door.
“That paid all of our bills when we were closed, kept us alive,” said Ladner Branch No. 61 manager Jacky Hillairet.
Hillairet expects COVID-19 to wreak havoc on the Legion’s finances again though as the three cadet squadrons the Legion sponsors are no longer able to take part in the poppy drive, the Legion’s largest fundraiser of the year.
According to Hillairet, on a good year, 828 Hurricane Squadron, 819 Skyhawk Squadron and the 1867 Seaforth Highlanders can bring in about $21,000 through a combination of a GoFundMe campaign and donations dropped off at the door for branch operations. However, this year’s poppy campaign goes towards a separate, public trust fund set aside for veterans and emergency services for veterans.
“It's going to be really hard for the poppy fund,” Hillairet said. “It's going to hurt us huge.”
While cadet corps are not able to take part, Ladner Legion poppy selling volunteers will stand behind their donation boxes at a safe distance at the following Ladner locations: London Drugs, FreshCo, the BC Liquor store, Save-On-Foods and Jarry's Market.
While poppies are still going to be distributed by stores and corporate sponsors of the Legion, there are only enough volunteers signed up to sell poppies for the first week of the fundraiser starting Friday.
As COVID-19 has created an emphasis on using credit or debit cards for transactions, Hillairet is concerned donations will also be scarce this year because fewer people will have cash on hand.
To sign up for a poppy selling shift for the Ladner Legion, call 604-946-4611 or visit the Legion in person Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Tsawwassen Legion's poppy drive will also not be assisted by local cadets, instead poppy donation boxes will be placed around the community and will operate on a trust-based system.
Legion president Bill Belsey says the branch usually has a booth in the Tsawwassen Town Centre mall, but won’t be able to supervise the booth with volunteers this year, adding that booth alone can raise anywhere from $5,000 to $9,000.
In previous years, between the booths and volunteers scattered throughout Tsawwassen, Belsey says the Legion averages $30,000 to $35,000 in total poppy drive donations.
“I think we could expect a 20 per cent drop,” Belsey said. “If that's all it is we're probably pretty happy.”
Belsey said while the Legion has sufficient numbers to operate, they are always looking for more, adding that volunteers can help out by not only distributing boxes, but counting and cleaning them too.
Donations to either Legion can be made online at https://legion.ca/donations, in person into a donation bin or visiting the Legions for a social outing and supporting their food and drink services.
