Canceled: Due to the forecast of ½ inch of rain tomorrow (100%), Saturday we have decided to cancel our Buddy Poppy Day and reschedule sometime after the first of the year.
November 2, 2015 - Since 1922, the Buddy Poppy has been an integral part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) community. As VFW’s official memorial flower, the Poppy represents the blood shed by American service members and it reiterates that VFW will not forget their sacrifices.
In 1922, the VFW conducted a campaign and received Poppies from France. Members soon discovered it took too long to get the flowers in from France and they came up with a better idea. Disabled, hospitalized and aging veterans could make the paper flowers and ship them out to the members for distribution. And so it was known, for veterans in VA hospitals and state veteran’s homes, every day would be VFW Buddy Poppy Day. These men and women assemble the Poppies, tie them in bunches of 10 and pack them in boxes of 500, 1,000 or 2,000 for shipment to the Posts and Auxiliaries. The VFW pays the disabled veteran for the work. In most cases, this extra money provides additional income for the worker to pay for the little luxuries, which make hospital life more tolerable. Furthermore, Poppy assembly is often used as a therapy program to provide exercise for fingers and hands crippled by wounds, disease and the effects of old age.
Shelby County Memorial Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8904 and the Auxiliary will conduct their annual Buddy Poppy day on Saturday, November 7th, 2015 in front of Walmart in Center from 9 am to 3 pm. All donations received will stay right here in Shelby County to help continue the community service work of the Post and Auxiliary. This community service includes but not limited to helping local veterans in need, providing local families Final Military Funeral Honors for their loved ones, conducting programs and observances on 21 days of the year, and Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen scholarship programs for local Junior High and High School students.
If you or your business would like to make a donation directly please send to VFW Post 8904, PO Box 1024, Center, TX 75935. The VFW is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and all donations are tax deductible.
