INGLESIDE, Ontario – The students of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School showed strong support of Remembrance Day and veterans last week.
The school, which has 243 students, collected $298 in donations for the Royal Canadian Legion Long Sault Branch 569’s annual poppy drive this year.
In addition to the donations, the students also wrote postcards to Legion members and to veterans through Veterans Affairs Canada.
Poppy Chair Simon Lavallée said that Legion members were impressed when they received the donation box back from the school and saw how heavy it was, and were touched when, in addition to the postcards, many students had left handwritten notes in the donation box with words of thanks to veterans.
The notes in the donation box were something that the students of Our Lady of Good Counsel did on their own accord, and came as a surprise even to the school’s principal, Colleen Barrie-Adams.
“It was really heart warming for us when we learned about the notes,” she said.
Lavallée and Legion volunteer Larry Godard were invited to Our Lady of Good Counsel on Wednesday, Nov. 17 to meet with some of the students and see all of the Remembrance Day artwork that each class made which still hangs on the walls.
“To wear the poppy is to show respect for what happened in the wars and for our country,” said Grade 7 student Hunter.
“It is to remember the people who fought in the war and who keep the peace,” said Kindergartener Michelle.
In all, Legion Branch 569 collected over $13,000 this year through their poppy campaign, nearly double from the year before. Funds collected by the poppy campaign are used to support Canada’s veterans.
