With Veterans Day falling on a Saturday this year, we found it necessary to split our poppy drive efforts between two weekends, to allow us fit everyting into our schedule.
We began on Saturday, November 4, operating at just two locations, QFC Westgate in Edmonds and Town & Country Market in Mill Creek. We collected over $ 4,700, roughly equally divided between the two locations. On the weekend of Veterans Day, we will be at three stores on Friday, Nov 10, adding the QFC Speedway location to the mix. It looks to be another successful outing that will result in keeping our Veterans Relief programs well funded.
In the photo above, 8870 members Dan Doyle, Charlie Gaul and Richard Balogna are shown manning one of the two doors we worked at QFC Edmonds.
On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4 & 5, we held our semi-annual poppy distributions and raised money for our Veterans Relief Fund at three area grocery stores – QFC Westgate in Edmonds, QFC Speedway in Mukilteo and Town & Country market in Mill Creek. Given the weather conditions, including power outages experienced that week, as well as a rather light turnout of participating members we did remarkably well, bringing in a total of $14,000 over the two days (after all all adjustments).
In past years, we have staffed as many as five stores, but it has become more difficult to staff even the three locations. We have lost a number of our regular participants over the past couple of years, some of whom have moved away and others who are no longer physically able to be with us, or who have passed on. We are very much in need of new members and participation from our more inactive members in this and the Memorial Day event. 20 Post members participating, out of a total of around 200 on the roster? Surely more of us can give up a couple of hours twice a year to help out.
The participants were:
Duane Bowman Calvin Barnard Carl Kurfess Dan Doyle Charlie Gaul
Pete Farmer Les Abel Nia Parvini Vivian Olsen Tom Hallums
Michael Reagan Rose Gilliland Alden Gilliland Don Stapleton Bryan Rowe
Charlie Smith Mike Denton Linda Denton Dan Mullene Steve Brown
Jim Murdock Jim Traner Holy Rosary Girl Scouts
Chaplain Doyle recruited a group of Girl Scouts from Holy Rosary church in Edmonds, which included his granddaughter. A creative way to draw attention to our cause. Many thanks to non-member participants, Edmonds City Councilor and USAF Veteran Vivian Olson, and Linda Denton, wife of past Commander Mike Denton, as well as American Legion Post 66 Adjutant Dan Mullene.
Photos from left: Presenting our certificates of appreciation to the store managers: Tom Hallems and Les Abel at QFC Westgate, Duane Bowman at Town & Country Market, Jim Traner at QFC Speedway. Next are photos with Dan Doyle and granddaughter and lastly, Past Commander Rose Gilliland with gift of roses presented by a family at QFC Speedway! (A new experience!)
