A desire to support local veterans was behind a nomination to have 100 Women donate to the Okotoks poppy fund.
“I was trying to think of something very local,” said 100 Women Who Care member Sonia Karran.
The quest led her to Paul White, 1st vice-president of the Okotoks Legion, who told her it expected the poppy campaign would struggle in 2020. Karran invited him to speak to the group at its meeting on Nov. 5.
Members of 100 Women Who Care, a group of 86 currently, donated a total of $10,050 to the Okotoks Legion poppy fund, with some members unable to give this quarter and others providing more than their required $100 contribution.
“I was kind of shocked,” said 100 Women organizer Julie Boake. “It’s been hard financially for a lot of people, so I was kind of surprised that the members are still coming out and some are still signing up. And this one was particularly close to a lot of our members.”
White said the donation was “very generous” and could push the total raised from this year’s poppy campaign to near $90,000.
“It’s more than last year, definitely,” he said.
Nancy Tonn, poppy campaign chair for the Okotoks Legion, said the campaign went surprisingly well this year considering the circumstances.
“We were just flabbergasted. We had no idea,” said Tonn of the campaign’s success during COVID-19.
Nearly all businesses where the Legion has placed boxes in the past were able to put them out again this year, and tables at Costco, Walmart and Sobeys were busy. Despite having tables at three stories rather than the typical five, the amount given by the public increased, she said.
People were able to donate via online payments, text payment that went through their mobile phone bill, cash or cheque, she said. Payments made via mobile companies won’t come through for a month or two, but so far about $76,000 has been collected in addition to the $10,050 presented by 100 Women Who Care, she said.
“They just stopped and bought some of our merchandise that we haven’t sold in the last three or four years,” said Tonn. “They saw it and wanted it. I think they just wanted to communicate, to be involved in some way.”
Particularly with Remembrance Day services being taken online rather than in-person, where attendees feel the emotion and weight of the event, she said people were urged to reach out and support however they could this year.
Boake said she was pleased to be able to present to the Legion during a year they might have struggled more with contributions in public, especially since the poppy fund benefits a number of people and organizations locally.
In the past, the Legion has supported improvements at Okotoks Urgent Care, equipment and bed purchases at Foothills Hospice, local cadet groups, military medical and mental health causes, high school scholarships and bursaries, and the Military Family Resource Centre in Calgary, which helps veterans from the entire Calgary region.
“There are so many different organizations and initiatives that benefit from the poppy fund locally,” said Boake. “It doesn’t serve one, it serves many. It’s like casting out a wide net to help people with this one.”
Hitting and exceeding the $10,000 milestone was exciting for Boake, who has been working to increase awareness and membership in 100 Women Who Care Foothills. She said 2020 has been a remarkable year, with those who can’t give taking a break and those who can putting in a little extra to keep the donations meaningful and impactful.
“For a country that has so little and isn’t abundant right now, we’re really coming together so closely to help one another,” said Boake.
She said support of the organization highlights the fact people have been hyper-focused on all things local in recent months, from donations to shopping.
It has been evident in other fundraisers around the Foothills and the number of people promoting local business for Christmas shopping as well, she said.
“It’s like taking care of your own house before you take care of everyone else’s,” said Boake. “We’ve been doing that more this year.”
For more information or to join 100 Women Who Care or the 100 Men Who Give A Damn, visit www.okotoks100.com
