First Poppy presented to Canada's Governor General

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette receives symbolic first poppy of the 2017 National Poppy Campaign

OTTAWA, Oct. 23, 2017 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Legion's president David Flannigan presented the symbolic First Poppy to Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, at Rideau Hall in Ottawa today.

David Flannigan, President, The Royal Canadian Legion offered the First Poppy to Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada at a ceremony at Rideau Hall today. Photo credit: Sharon Adams, Legion Magazine (CNW Group/The Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command)

As Patron of The Royal Canadian Legion, Ms. Payette graciously accepted the bright red poppy as a prelude to the 2017 National Poppy Campaign which gets underway each year on the last Friday of the month; this year on October 27^th.

"We are honoured to welcome Her Excellency as our new Patron," says David Flannigan, Dominion President.  "We will be guided by her words and her example – to reach for the stars and set our sights high in all that we do. When it comes to serving our nation's Veterans and their families, we will continue to work together to achieve great things," he says.

The poppy is a meaningful symbol of remembrance, and wearing it demonstrates a mutual and personal understanding of the deep gratitude we have for our Veterans. The beautiful flower pays tribute to all  who have fallen, including military and RCMP Veterans.

Funds raised during the National Poppy Campaign go back into communities across Canada to help support Veterans and their families.

About The Royal Canadian Legion

Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada's largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S., Europe and Mexico. With more than 275,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

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SOURCE The Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command

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Organization Profile

The Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command

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• The Royal Canadian Legion launches 2018 National Poppy Campaign