By Mikayla van Loon
The day in which the country stops on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month to remember the sacrifice and service of Australia’s service men and women is just around the corner.
For local RSL clubs these few weeks in the lead up to Remembrance Day focus on raising funds for veterans welfare through the Poppy Appeal, this year marking the 100th year since it began.
In 1921 Australia imported one million silk poppies made by children from a French orphanage, which were then sold to financially support the orphanage and returned servicemen.
Monbulk RSL president Bill Ford has been spending two to three days a week in both Monbulk and Seville selling poppies for the cause.
“We have had a very good response from the public. I’ve sold over $4,000 worth already,” he said.
Mr Ford said he can usually sell anywhere between $7000 to $8000 worth of Remembrance Day poppies, funds that all go towards veteran’s health and wellbeing.
“We’ve got homeless veterans who might need a taxi fare to go for medical appointments or, like, I’m losing my eyesight, so some of this money goes to help with either glasses or buying electronic magnifiers so I can see to read and things like that.
“It helps other veterans who may have an unexpected bill that they can’t pay or something like that. There’s many homeless Vietnam veterans and Afghanistan veterans and Iraq veterans who are homeless so this goes into that sort of welfare.”
Emerald RSL welfare officer Chris May said they have taken a different approach this year to selling the poppies, starting a few weeks early to place boxes in local cafes, supermarkets and shops.
“So normally how it’s done is a face to face interaction with the RSL volunteers but with the Covid restrictions and whatnot, we weren’t able to do that. So we had to adapt to the situation and do what we could,” he said.
Mr May said ever since World War I, soldiers have returned home wounded, with diseases or ill and the funds raised through the Anzac Day Appeal and the Poppy Appeal continue to support those in need.
“This is the centenary of why the Poppy Appeal began which was essentially raising money as part of the welfare and benevolence funds for RSL.
“What we use those funds for is just exactly what it was set up for. The funds that are raised go into supporting local veterans and their families, as they grow older, as they transition from their defense life to civilian life.”
This year’s Poppy Appeal, Mr May said is crucial for veterans as young as in their 20s who have returned home and have been struggling through the pandemic.
Mr May said Emerald RSL has been trying over the last few months to include and place emphasis on the peacekeeping wars fought since Vietnam, like Rwanda, Somalia, Sinai, Egypt, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.
“There’s a lot of work being done in trying to engage with and support those veterans and their families because they often feel like the forgotten ones.”
Emerald will once again be “painted red with poppies” from 1 November, a small way of bringing Flanders Field to the town.
Mr Ford said every year for the last 25 years he has been selling poppies for the appeal, something he says is his small way of helping fellow veterans.
“I enjoy this, this my little bit to help our veteran community,” he said.
“I’m overwhelmed with the support that I get from the community in the Yarra Valley and Monbulk area.”
Mr May said Emerald RSL will be hosting a small service but more importantly, as the bugle sounds at 11am, he hopes wherever people are, they will stop and remember the service and sacrifice made by Australians from all generations.
Having been restricted with what they were able to do last year, Mr Ford said it is such a relief to know Remembrance Day commemorations will be able to go ahead.
“Anzac Day this year was just out of this world for us all to be able to do it and Remembrance Day is going to be the same.”
“We can’t forget our service personnel. We’re one big family and they sacrificed a lot for what we’ve got today.”
