LETTER: Make donation to VFW for a poppy and wear it proudly

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To the Editor:

“They Gave, Will You?” This is the motto of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Today and Saturday, the Corn Palace City VFW Post No. 2750 and its Auxiliary will be on the streets of Mitchell distributing their “Buddy” poppy to the public for a donation.

Since 1922, the Buddy poppy has been an integral part of the VFW. The poppy represents the blood shed by American service members. It reiterates that the VFW will not forget their sacrifices.

The first Buddy poppy was made as a paper flower; since then there has been a change in how the poppy is made. The poppy is assembled by veterans in VA hospitals and VA nursing homes.

Proceeds from the distribution of poppies are used for veterans’ wel-fare and for their families. Some of the money collected from the poppy campaign is also sent to the VA hospitals. There are so many veter-ans, both men and women, coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with medical problems. The money is used to make the veterans’ stay a little more comfortable.

Proceeds from the poppy sale are also used to fund the VFW National Home in Eaton Rapids, Mich. The National Home supports orphans and widows of our nation’s veterans. The Veterans of Foreign Wars is made up of combat veterans. Their wives, mothers, sisters and daughters make up the Ladies Aux-iliary.

When you are asked to donate for a Buddy Poppy today or Saturday, wear it proudly. Your help will go a long way toward helping a deserving veteran. It is truly all about veterans helping veterans and living up to the VFW motto of “Honor the dead by helping the living.”

Thank you for your consideration.

Carol Schoenfelder

Poppy chairwoman

VFW Auxiliary No. 2750

Mitchell

Tags: buddy poppy, letters, opinion, poppy