The generosity of anonymous donors has put Prince George’s Remembrance Day ceremonies on solid financial ground.
At Monday’s city council meeting, Sheldon Clare, Eric Callaghan and John Scott made a request for $18,000 in funding on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43 to cover the costs of putting on the services on Saturday, Nov. 11.
That request has been answered with an overwhelming public response. One single donor, who chose to remain anonymous, provided the full amount of $18,000 – and several other donors also contributed.
“It’s pretty heartening there are people out there who are prepared to make donations,” said Clare, Legion Branch 43 chairman. “We had one donation that was quite large and some other donations that were quite significant and they will more than be sufficient to operate all of our need for the ceremony this year.”
Clare said a longer-term solution that would help ensure the Legion’s ability to orchestrate the annual Remembrance Day celebrations and cover the organization’s annual operating costs would be to increase its membership.
“We need more of the younger veterans to join the Legion and get involved,” said Clare. “I know they’re raising families. I know there are issues about things like the Veterans Charter (which in 2011 changed disability awards to veterans from monthly lifetime payments to lump sums) and other aspects of the Legion that some veterans have been critical about.
“But I think it’s important that veterans do join the Legion and make it the organization they want it to be.”
Legion Branch 43 membership has dropped to between 500 and 600 members, of which about 120 are veterans, and Clare knows not everybody who served in the armed forces or the RCMP is taking advantage of the services it provides.
“The World War 2 veterans, the Korean War veterans, all those guys re in their 90s, they’re not participants in the Legion any more as those few that are left alive, but there are good clumps of former service members out there,” said Clare.
“Some are not familiar with the Legion except what gets in the press through the poppy campaign every year and I really would encourage anyone who has worn a uniform for Canada to seriously consider taking out a Legion membership. Our membership numbers are down and that does affect how we are able to do things.”
The Legion administers the poppy campaign, which directly provides funds to programs to support veterans and their families. It funds medical training and research and provides medical appliances to assist veterans. Legion programs fund youth sports activities, veterans housing, seniors care, meal programs and provide bursaries to children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of veterans.
The poppy campaign does not fund Remembrance Day activities and Legion branches have traditionally relied on gaming funding, which according to Clare is more difficult now to secure.
