Dennis Waunch, a corporal retired from the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals, will offer poppies for a donation on behalf of the Port Coquitlam Legion, starting Thursday afternoon at Safeway in Shaughnessy Station.
Waunch, a 51-year member of the Royal Canadian Legion, joined the military in 1968 at the age of 18 and served in Canada, Cypress and Europe; he's been involved in poppy tagging nearly every year since.
Money raised from the campaign supports veteran care, student bursaries and community projects. Last year's drive by PoCo Legion branch 113 brought in $40,000 for the causes.
The poppies are available from vets, cadets and volunteers at key Tri-City locations until Nov. 9.
Meanwhile, Coquitlam's Park Spark team will be at Blue Mountain Park — by the cenotaph on Veterans Way — until Nov. 10 to paint red poppies on the lawn before the Remembrance Day service.
Residents are also invited to write a personal message of remembrance on yellow ribbons that will be tied to trees throughout the park. Visit coquitlam.ca/parkspark for times and dates of the painting project.
