Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

Poppy Day

For more than 90 years, the American Legion Auxiliary has distributed the memorial poppy to remind Americans that millions of service men and women sacrificed their lives and health to keep our nation free.

The red poppy will be distributed to the public in Clarissa on Friday, May 9, by the Clarissa American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 213. Auxiliary members ask the public to pause for a moment, pin on a poppy, and wear it with pride.

During World War I, the poppy flourished on the battlefields of Flanders Fields among the shelled buildings and bomb-scarred landscape. Like the blood that was shed there, its brilliant red bloom became a sign of hope and renewal. For those who would never leave, those who had given their lives, it is a perpetual memorial to their bravery.

The American Legion Auxiliary poppy is handmade by veterans who receive a small stipend for each poppy made.

Contributions received on Poppy Day are used by the local auxiliary unit to assist veterans and their families.

If you’re out and about, stop and show your support for our veterans!

Julie Rach

Clarissa American Legion

Auxiliary Poppy Chair