Poppy sale kick-off coming up in Minneota
May had been proclaimed as Poppy Month, and the annual Spring Blowout on Saturday in Minneota will also be the kick-off for the American Legion Auxiliary's poppy distribution this year.
Sandy Josephson and Amanda Engels of the local Auxiliary will have a table set up at Bethel Fellowship on Saturday for information and distribution of the red four-petal artificial flower.
There will also be someone distributing the poppies around town on Saturday. The poppies are a symbol or remembrance of soldiers, living and deceased. It is to remind Americans of the sacrifices made by our veterans while protecting our freedoms.
May 24 in National Poppy Day. "After Saturday, we will put donations cans and poppies in a few locations in Minneota and Taunton so people can also get them there," said Josephson, the current Minneota American Legion Auxiliary president.
It is not required for anyone to give a donation to receive a poppy.
"The poppies aren't for sale; we distribute them for a donation," Josephson said. "People always ask how much they cost, but my usual response is that the money goes to veterans so they should consider it a thank-you gift." The poppies are made by veterans and volunteers.
The American Legion has strict guidelines that must be followed for the donations generated from the poppies to ensure that 100 percent of the donations go to the veterans and their families. Poppies have been the official flower of remembrance for the American Legion since 1921 when it was first worn at the National Convention.
Since that time, the American Legion Auxiliary -- direct female relatives of veterans -- has been the driving force behind the poppy program. Each year, the Auxiliary's 750,000 members across the country raise more than $5.5 million through the distribution of the symbolic red poppy to support active-duty military, veterans and their families.
The Auxiliary, founded in 1919 to support the work of the American Legion, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The Auxiliary is recognized as the largest women's patriotic service organization.