National Poppy Day® is May 24 this year
Our Poppy Program has been a cornerstone of the American Legion Auxiliary for close to a century. Each year, American Legion Auxiliary volunteers distribute millions of poppies in exchange for contributions to assist disabled and hospitalized veterans in our communities. Last year, more than $2 million was raised from poppy distributions alone!
Just think: If every unit raised an additional $10, $100, or even $1,000, how many more veterans could we help? The answer is plenty! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
When distributing poppies at a local grocery store, restaurant, or home improvement store, talk to the manager and see if they would be willing to post information about the poppy and the ALA mission in their newsletter or social media.
Some restaurants are willing to set aside an evening where a percentage of the proceeds made go back to a local nonprofit. Don’t be afraid to ask! Be polite and informative, and know the worst they will tell you is “no.”
Many companies give paid time off for their employees to volunteer for service projects. Do some research and see if any companies in your area do this. Don’t be afraid to call the human resources department for information. Invite those employees to come make poppies with you. It’s a great way to spread the news about our mission and welcome help with poppy making. Many of those same companies will also donate to organizations where their employees are volunteering at.
Have a friendly competition with other members on who can raise the most money on a certain day. Invite your Junior members to participate or be a team lead.
Be sure to share your fundraising success stories with us at alamagazine@ALAforVeterans.org and on social media @ ALAforVeterans. But most importantly, don’t forget to make your unit fundraisers fun, and never lose sight of the veterans who will benefit from your hard work.
American Legion Auxiliary Blog 
I am an Auxiliary member of both American Legion and VFW. I also believe in working together and I noticed in the picture of the couple under the tent they have Legion Poppies, and the display board is about and a picture of the trademarked VFW “Buddy Poppy”
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Good eye! Thank you for contacting us and reaching out about the poppies in that photo. Many members of The American Legion Family also belong to the VFW and its Auxiliary, and we suspect the members pictured may not have realized they were using two different poppies. We have replaced that photo with an ALA-specific image. We appreciate everything you do for the ALA and our mission!
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I love the tablecloth. Where can our Unit purchase one?
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Thanks for reaching out! The unit had the banner made for their poppy drives, probably through a local vendor who creates banners.
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I agree with Margaret above. I love the table banner. Is there a template or information about ordering one for our Unit?
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Thanks for reaching out! The unit had the banner made for their poppy drives, probably through a local vendor who creates banners.
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The banner pictured is fantastic we should consider a table cloth for the tables to sell through flag and emblem that could be bought by all units to promote the Poppy Distribution. We do two weekends and multiple places and would really like to be uniform. Thank you Poppy Chairman, Seaford, DE Unit #6
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Who do we contact to get permission to use the ALA symbol on a banner? Thank you
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Hello and thanks for reaching out! Please go to http://www.ALAforVeterans.org. In the search bar, use “ALA Emblem Use Request Form” and you will find the document needed to fill out for emblem usage.
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