Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars will be having a Buddy Poppy Drive this Saturday. Honor a veteran by donating on poppy day.
“We do this every year,” said Phyllis Barnes, president of Ladies Auxiliary 5064 and Department of Tennessee Ladies Auxiliary VFW Chaplin.
There will be members of the auxiliary and volunteers around town and at red-light intersections. Any donation will be greatly appreciated and will go directly to a worthwhile cause. No one gets paid for their time, says Barnes.
“The money raised can only be spent on veterans and veterans’ families,” she said. “Our volunteers get satisfaction knowing they are out there on poppy day helping the living veterans by honoring the dead. You can honor your veteran or veterans by donating on poppy day.”
In 1923, the VFW evolved the idea to offer poppies fashioned by disabled and needy veterans who were paid for their work in assembling “Buddy” poppies. The VFW has annually conducted the campaign since May 1924.
In February 1924, the VFW registered the name “Buddy” Poppy with the U.S. Patent Office, and still holds all trademark rights under the classification of artificial flowers.