OSMOND - Poppy Day in Osmond will be observed on Thurs day, May 23, this year, a change from the usual Friday poppy sales.
Members of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 326 will have poppies available in downtown Osmond and some businesses.
Co-chairman of this year's Poppy Day, Michelle Reikofski and Miriam Stelling, share the following information about the poppy.
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National Poppy Day
The red poppy is a nationally recognized symbol of sacrifice worn by Americans since World War I to honor those who served and died for our country in all wars. It reminds Americans of the sacrifices made by our veterans while protecting our freedoms. Wear a poppy to honor those who have worn our nation's uniform.
The Poppy
After World War I, the poppy flourished in Europe. Scientists at tributed the growth to soils in France and Belgium becoming enriched with lime from the rubble left by the war. From the dirt and mud grew a beautiful red poppy.
The red poppy came to symbolize the blood shed during battle following the publication of the wartime poem "In Flanders Fields." The poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, M.D.
while serving on the front lines.
On Sept. 27, 1920, the poppy became the official flower of The American Legion family to memorialize the soldiers who fought and
died during the war. In 1924, the distribution of poppies became a national program of The American Legion.
Led by the American Legion Auxiliary, each year members of The American Legion Family distribute poppies with a request that the person receiving the flower make a donation to support the future of veterans, active-duty military personnel and their families with medical and financial needs.
