Tag Archive: Buddy Poppy

The busy month of May

Our calendar is a busy one for the Memorial Day weekend period. We begin, of course, with our semi-annual Buddy Poppy distribution at our local grocery stores, which will begin on the morning of Friday, May 27 and proceed through Saturday, May 28. We could certainly use more of you to participate. It is this simple, the more poppies we hand out, the more money we bring in for our Veterans Relief Fund. It is a very rewarding experience, with lots of folks expressing their gratitude and recognizing our service, so come out and help. If you can’t give us a full day, work half a day. If half a day is not possible, come for a couple of hours. (We will have rain shelter at all locations) 

On Memorial Day itself, (Monday May 30) we need a few hands to move flags for the ceremonies at the cemetery and the Veterans Plaza. Please meet at the Legion Hall at 8:30 if you can help with that duty. 

We should meet at the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery at 10:30 for the 11:00am ceremonies there and will then move on to the Edmonds Veterans Plaza for a short observance at that location, to begin at 1:00pm 

Wear your cover and join us to remember our fallen comrades. 

Spring is just around the corner, which means that planning for Memorial Day ceremonies and our Memorial Day round of Buddy Poppy distribution (May 6 & 7) is underway and we will need to begin planning for Independence Day, on the assumption that both the annual parade and our barbecue can be held this year. 

Buddy Poppy Chair Duane Bowman has announced that he wishes to staff three QFC locations, Mukilteo, Westgate and 196th at 76th, as well as Fred Meyer at 164th and Town & Country Market in Mill Creek. (formerly Central Market) In order to staff all of those locations, we will need participation by considerably more of our membership than we have seen in recent years. We understand that it is difficult for some of our older members and we just ask that each of you do whatever you can. If that is a full day, great, if just and hour or two, everything helps. 

We have asked the Auxiliary to participate and if spouses and older teenage offspring are will to help, they would be welcome. We usually have several spouses of members who participate and basically, everyone is welcome. 

We expect to participate in the Edmonds Cemetery Memorial Day ceremonies (Monday, May 30) as we have for many years, so be sure to put that event on your calendar, beginning at 10:00 AM at the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery. 

While Memorial Day may yet seem way off on the horizon, it is actually just over two months away, so now is the time to start making preparations. 

Jr. Vice Commander and Poppy Chair Duane Bowman has made arrangements for a presence at the Mill Creek Central Market once again. It has been a few years since we have been at that location, but it has always been very productive, as well as being a comfortable facility at which to distribute poppies. We would like have tables at each of three doors at that store. 

We plan to distribute poppies at QFC on the Speedway in Mukilteo; QFC at Westgate in Edmonds, Fred Meyer on Alderwood Blvd & 164th and at Central Market in downtown Mill Creek. At both QFC stores and at Fred Meyer, we will staff two doors each and at Central Market, three doors. We will work Friday May 22 and Saturday May 23 with two shifts both days at all locations so we need to fill a total of 36 shifts. 

We had intended to have sign up sheets at the March meeting to get us started, but with the meeting cancelled, we will obviously need to at least start our sign-up process on line. Hopefully, we will be able to meet together at the Legion Hall in April. 

With the shift from West Lynnwood QFC to Central Market, there will be no need for anyone to be out in the rain. We will all be able to be under shelter. Obviously, if too many people sign up at one location, some of us will need to move, so be prepared to be flexible. There will certainly be some of us who are unable to participate fully, so If you can do more than one shift, or can bring spouse, offspring or friends to help, please do so. Contact Duane to let him know your preferences and with any questions: [email protected]. On line sign-ups will be made available as soon as possible.