The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1929-05-15

Saturday, May 25, has been desig
mated by the American Legion Auxi-
liary of Redwood Falls as Poppy
ySSr1sux, Day." and on that occasion
al4 the Auxiliary, assisted by
A* the Girl Scouts and the
WH$ Camp Fire girls will ap-
proach all with a request to invest
in the local chapters comprehensive
program of relief for the World War
veterans. Mrs. l.. P. Winter will
have charge of the sale.
Last year there was a generous
response on the part of the public
and the funds thus raised have per-
mitted the local Auxiliary to bring
happiness into several homes sadly
handicapped by reason of the inabi-
lity of the head of the family to suf-
ficiently provide because of the after
effects of his war service. The ladies
hope that there may again be inter-
est in their sale of the poppies, and
so that all may understand their re-
quest that all wear poppies on May
% have prepared the following state
ment:
Each year on the annual Poppy
Day members of the American Leg
ion Auxiliary who sell the poppies
are frequently asked why the pop
pies are being sold and what is the
significance of the occasion. The
history of Poppy Day goes back to
the closing days of the World War.
At that time Miss Moina Mitchell,
touched by reference in poem to
the poppies growing between the
crosses row on row. decided to wear
a poppy in honor of the war. And
so began the custom now observed
annually by millions of Americans,
who proudly wear the poppy in hon
or of our brave young men who gave
their lives for their country. Ameri-
can women have taken up the idea
and developed it into a great national
program, both in commemoration OF
those who gave their lives and for
the bringing of aid to those who,
though broken by wartime expert
ences, are still carrying on.
"The Minnesota Poppy Work Room
is located in the Boston block in Min
neapolis in charge of Mrs. Maude
Winter. An average of 40 men, all
of them disabled ex-service men, are
employed, the number at certain rush
periods sometimes reaching a total
of 20. Each man is paid a penny
each for-poppies made, and while
each can make about 800 of them
per day, the number each man is al
lowed to make daily is limited to
200, so that more men may be CIV
en- employment Many of the men
thus employed receive no government
compensation, some of them very
little, and these are the ex-service
men given preference in the work
room. Often the money earned by
them means food, shelter and fuel,
and is the only income the soldier
has. Here the veteran who is phys
ically unable to do strenuous work
and other veterans who are unem-
ployed work side by side fashioning
the poppies, to them symbols of life
as well as remembrances of the dead.
''On the Saturday before Memoir
ial Day-this year on May 25-wo-
men of the American Legion Auxil-
iary will sell the poppies in Redwood
Falls. By nightfall of that day
they hope to see the poppy of re-
membrance blooming on each and
everyone. The funds derived from
the sale are to be used in giving aid,
groceries for the family of veter-
an who is too i'll to work, shoes for
the child of a disabled veteran, fuel,
perhaps even a cash loan to a de-
serving one. These are typical cases
of uses to which the money is put.
Funds collected through the sale of
the poppies are used exclusively in
this community and every cent of
it is expended in relief. No portion
of the fund collected is used for ad-
ministrative expenses or salaries for
anyone.'