Community Corner
Don't Forget to Pick Up Your 'Buddy Poppy' This Weekend
The red paper flowers are distributed in honor of the many men and women who served, fought, and died in France during World War II.
If you are out and about this weekend and see a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars standing in front of your local grocery store with a basket full of red paper flowers, don’t just walk by.
Veterans are handing out "Buddy Poppies" in honor of the many men and women who served, fought, and died in France during World War II. The "Buddy Poppy" has become the symbol of all of those who have given their lives in our nation's wars.
According to the literature that is handed out with the flowers, ever since 1922, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States has conducted an annual distribution of "Buddy" Poppies to raise funds for its charitable programs on behalf of the needy and disabled veterans, and the surviving family members of deceased veterans.
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Poppies are distributed by posts and auxiliaries of the VFW in every state of the union and in dozens of other countries.
In fact, some 14 million are distributed annually, most of them during the period preceding Memorial Day and Veterans Day, the literature says.
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More than $11 million is raised each year through the distribution of the "Buddy Poppies," all of it accounted for and dedicated entirely to veterans' welfare.
When you drop a donation in a Poppy canister you have contributed to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Home for children of the deceased or disabled war veterans, and to direct assistance programs for needy and disabled veterans, as well as active service members and their families of the community, according to the literature.
The person you receive the Poppy from is a volunteer; their only pay is the satisfaction that they get from volunteering their time to such a cause. However, the person who does get paid is the disabled veteran who assembled the Poppy from the original parts, who receives a nominal sum for their work.
So, when you are handed a "Buddy Poppy," give generously and when you wear a "Buddy Poppy," wear it proudly.
I picked mine up in front of at 30241 Golden Lantern St., in Laguna Niguel from volunteer and VFW veteran, Luigi J. La Valle.
Other places such as Ralphs, and Vons in Laguna Niguel and Dana Point will be standing in front of the stores with "Buddy Poppies" through Sunday, La Valle said.
