OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Royal Canadian Legion presented the First Poppy of the 2024 National Poppy Campaign today, to Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada. The Legion’s Dominion President, Berkley Lawrence, pinned her Poppy during the traditional annual event at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
“The very act of receiving the First Poppy reflects our Governor General’s heartfelt gratitude for all of Canada’s Fallen Veterans,” says Lawrence. “This occasion marks the ceremonial start of our annual Remembrance period, and the Legion is honoured to have Her Excellency’s support each year.”
As viceregal patron of The Royal Canadian Legion, the Governor General presented remarks, and pinned poppies on Veterans and guests, sharing a few words with each along the way.
Legion Grand President Vice Admiral (Ret’d) Larry Murray also pinned a Poppy on His Excellency Whit Fraser, spouse of the Governor-General, and spoke of the importance of Remembrance during his presentation.
“Remembrance, as symbolized by the poppy, remains our eternal recognition of the service and sacrifice of all the women and men who protect our freedoms,” he said.
As guests entered the venue, Rideau Hall also displayed an image of the Legion’s “Poppy Stories” initiative which allows people to use a smart phone to go to poppystories.ca, scan their lapel Poppy and read the personal stories of Canadian Veterans.
The Poppy is Canada’s symbol of Remembrance for fallen military and RCMP Veterans, and its image is a central part of the National Poppy Campaign. Funds donated locally during the campaign are distributed locally, to help support Veterans and their families and to promote Remembrance.
The Legion’s National Poppy Campaign launches annually on the last Friday in October and will officially begin on October 25th this year.
For additional official event images from Rideau Hall, and any related media inquiries please contact: [email protected]
About The Royal Canadian Legion
Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With close to 260,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.
Public Relations / Media Inquiries:
[email protected] – The Royal Canadian Legion – 343-540-7604 – Nujma Bond
Legion.ca
Facebook.com/CanadianLegion
Twitter.com/RoyalCdnLegion
Instagram.com/royalcanadianlegion
YouTube.com/user/RCLDominionCommand
LinkedIn.com/company/royalcanadianlegion
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