An unveiling of the locally designed anti-theft poppy box held at Cochrane Toyota last week has left those involved with the project hopeful that the new boxes will be used across the country by this time next year.
“It’s about the team effort behind this,” said local celebrity, philanthropist and retired professional wrestler Dan Kroffat, who was inspired to design a new box following the 2015 rash of stolen poppy boxes across Calgary.
The new boxes have a built-in chain that can be tethered behind the counter of where they are placed; the slot to donate money is also designed in such a way as to discourage spontaneous theft.
With Alex Baum of Cochrane Toyota help to fund the project, Kroffat stressed that “there are no expenses to the veterans or the legion” for the design and implementation and that “the legions have nothing to lose.”
“We were happy to be a part of it. We can be so proud of our local legion and our vets – they’re excited to roll this out,” said Baum.
Should the response be as well-received as the team is anticipating, Kroffat said there is a corporate sponsor in the works to fund the project nation-wide.
Fifty of these newly designed boxes will be in use at Cochrane poppy box locations this year for the annual Poppy Campaign, which kicks off this Friday and runs through Nov. 11.
Dave Usherwood of the Cochrane Legion said the legion is “optimistic that they will have positive results” with the use of the new boxes.
He said the new boxes should be particularly useful in high-risk locations such as bars and gas stations.
Cochrane-based EGB Manufacturing designed the boxes, contracting Cremona-based Kojah for powder coating and Strathmore-based Laser-Fab for the metal.
“A big thing to us is doing everything local and stopping it from going overseas,” said Lance Schreiner, one of the designers of the box.
Banff-Airdrie MP Blake Richards, retired Stampeder Jon Cornish, legion members and a few dozen business and community members were on deck for the unveiling.
Joey Bleviss, CAO of the Calgary Poppy Fund, said they are looking to raise $2 million through the campaign this year.
He added that requests for assistance are up 15 per cent this year and mail-out donation requests are down 35 per cent.
The Canadian Legion Poppy Trust Fund directly supports Canadian veterans current and retired – and their families, spouses and dependants. The funds provide everything from clothing and food needs to transportation and medical expenses.
According to a March 2015 study conducted by Employment and Social Development of Canada, around 2,250 veterans use shelters regularly; this is around 2.7 per cent of the country’s homeless population.
The report indicated that the average age of homeless veterans is 52; the median age of the general population is 37. Contributing factors to this homelessness include drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness – highlighted by PTSD.
