Veterans Are Out in Force With ‘Poppies’
Veterans have been out on the streets the past few weekends with poppies seeking donations.
Money raised from the poppy sales will go directly to aid American veterans.
The selling of poppies began more than 84 years ago to assist World War I orphaned children.
Johnson-Phelps VFW 5220, in Oak Lawn, held its poppy days on May 3- 5. Fifteen veterans from Johnson-Phelps volunteered to collect donations.
The VFW had a goal of collecting $5,000 this year.
“The people on the street did better than they did last year,” said Bob Anders, poppy chairman at Johnson-Phelps.
Anders said they will not know the total collected in donations for some time because money is still coming in the mail from members.
But, said Anders, he can already say that he is disappointed with the response from businesses.
“Right now, we have not received a single donation from local businesses,” he said.
Anders said that most businesses, especially car dealerships and banks, were sent donation requests.
Anders said the need is greater nowadays because there are more wounded veterans in hospitals. A lot of those veterans will receive therapy kits from the money raised through the poppies.
“The poppies are put together in packs of 10 by veterans in hospitals. It is a form of therapy for them,” said Anders.
McDonald Linn Post 177 had veterans out with poppies May 15-17 in Chicago Ridge, Burbank, Bridgeview, Crestwood and Worth.
According to poppy chairman Billy Dotson, the post had about 25 to 30 veterans collecting donations.
Collection cans will remain in stores until Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 26.
Dotson said the post started with 5,000 to 6,000 poppies, and had a successful weekend collecting donations.
“Members usually do a good job of sending in money, thanks to our letter-writing campaign,” said Dotson.
According to Dotson, a majority of the post’s members are World War II veterans and they can’t stand on the street, so they go to the stores. The post tries to get their younger members to stand on the streets with the poppies.
Dotson said they will not know for awhile how much money they received.
In addition to needy veterans, Dotson said some of the money will go to help local Boy Scouts.
Dotson said the veterans and the post’s Ladies Auxiliary did a wonderful job preparing for this event.
John McCrae, a Canadian surgeon, wrote a poem, “In Flanders Fields,” where the poppy represented the sacrifice made by fallen soldiers who died in World War I and later conflicts.
The poppy was chosen because the flower grows naturally in Europe, where the majority of fighting took place during the World War I.
Poppies are usually sold in the weeks before Memorial Day, which is always the last Monday in May.
The first Memorial Day was celebrated as Decoration Day to honor the sacrifices made by soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
In 1971, Congress declared the last Monday in May as Memorial Day.