Cloverdale Legion in need of volunteers for poppy campaign

Cloverdale Legion in need of volunteers for poppy campaign

Published 10:00 pm Thursday, October 29, 2026

Do you want to volunteer to help the Legion?

Susie Chamberlain said the Legion still needs poppy taggers to fill spots in both Cloverdale and Langley.

Chamberlain, Poppy Campaign chair for Cloverdale’s Branch No. 6, said anyone who’s interested can reach out.

The 2026 Poppy Campaign officially kicked off Oct. 24 and while the Cloverdale Legion has a lot of volunteers, there are still many empty squares on their schedule board at the branch.

“Every one of those open spots represents a need,” Chamberlain explained. “A lot of our usual (poppy taggers) are getting older, so we need some younger people to step up.”

And the board only covers the major locations. They have many smaller places that aren’t shown.

Chamberlain, said some of the older volunteers can’t do as many shifts as they used to. Many have cut back to one or two per week.

She said cadets help on weekends—the Legion doesn’t allow the kids to volunteer during the week, nor are they allowed to poppy tag at liquor stores—but the real need is Monday to Friday on one of their three set shifts: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 to 4 p.m., or 4 to 7 p.m. The shifts run up until Remembrance Day.

Chamberlain said the hardest shift to fill is the weekday 4-7 p.m. slot.

New this year, Chamberlain said players on the Cloverdale Hockey Club have been volunteering. You can find the junior hockey players outside the Cloverdale Save-On and outside No Frills in Clover Square Village. (Cloverdale HC recently enjoyed a 13-game win streak—a record in their league, the PJHL.)

“We need the newbies; we need the young guys,” she said. “The hockey team has helped, but they can’t cover all the places we need. They’ve been great and all they asked for was poppy stickers so they could put them on their helmets.”

For the volunteers they do have, Chamberlain said they are very dedicated—many taking multiple shifts day after day.

She said power poppy tagger Wayne King is still going strong. He’s 92 and still goes out during the week. King, unlike all the others, is a “free-tagger,” if you will.

“He doesn’t like to have a territory,” Chamberlain laughed. “He wants to go where he wants to go. So, he’ll wander all over Cloverdale-Langley.”

King’s name is not on the board, of course.

Chamberlain said it takes an army to get the campaign rolled out and an army to sustain it.

This is her fourth year running the Poppy Campaign for Branch No. 6.

The branch in Langley City that covered the western side of that community closed years ago and Cloverdale and Aldergrove have covered the area ever since. As such, the need for poppy taggers is immense.

Chamberlain said many locations remain unfilled and they are only asking for a few hours commitment.

“I could use several more people,” she added.

This year, Chamberlain is selling unique, handmade poppies at the branch. A Legion member made them and they are available for a $5 minimum donation. But supplies are limited.

This year the Legion continues its Digital Poppy Campaign as well. Donors can visit mypoppy.ca to purchase a digital poppy that can then be shared on social media. The digital poppy has an option to include the name of a veteran, if one chooses.

The Legion also has an online store at poppystore.ca where visitors can purchase poppy- and Remembrance Day-related merchandise.

The Royal Canadian Legion hands out about 18 million poppies each year and raises about $20 million for charity. The money goes to support veterans and their families. Some of the ways the money is used includes: assisting needy veterans, ex-service members, and their families; purchasing much-needed medical equipment; maintenance of housing and care facilities for veterans, seniors, and disabled persons; funding drop-in centres for adults, meals-on-wheels, transport, and related services.

To volunteer with the Cloverdale Legion for the annual Poppy Campaign, call Branch No. 6 on 604-574-5300. Ask for Susie.

To donate to the 2026 poppy campaign, which directly supports vets in Cloverdale, Surrey, and Langley, visit the Cloverdale Legion, call them at 604-574-5300, or visit their website at cloverdalelegion.ca.