Neal Peer, Commander of Sun Lakes VFW Post 8053 and Betty Peer, President of the Post’s Auxiliary, manning one of the doors at Arizona Avenue’s Wal-Mart Store on Poppy Day, November 15.
Sun Lakes VFW Post 8053 Ladies Auxiliary wishes to thank the following businesses for allowing us to promote Buddy Poppy Day in front of their businesses on Saturday, November 15: ACE Hardware on Riggs Rd.; Wal-Mart on S. Arizona Ave.; HOA 1 Pro Shop; Fry’s at Riggs and McQueen; Fry’s, S. Alma School; Walgreen’s at Alma School and Germann; and Walgreen’s on Riggs Rd. Because of the generosity of these area businesses and the wonderful giving spirit of the citizens of Sun Lakes and surrounding area, we had a very successful Poppy Day!
The VFW conducted its first poppy distribution before Memorial Day in 1922, becoming the first veterans’ organization to organize a nationwide distribution. The poppy soon was adopted as the official memorial flower of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
In 1923 VFW decided that VFW “Buddy”® Poppies would be assembled by disabled and needy veterans who would be paid for their work to provide them with financial assistance. The next year, disabled veterans at the Buddy Poppy factory in Pittsburgh assembled VFW Buddy Poppies. The designation “Buddy Poppy” was adopted at that time.
In February 1924, the VFW registered the name Buddy Poppy with the U.S. Patent Office. A certificate was issued on May 20, 1924, granting the VFW all trademark rights in the name of Buddy under the classification of artificial flowers. The VFW has made that trademark a guarantee that all poppies bearing that name and the VFW label are genuine products of the work of disabled and needy veterans. No other organization, firm or individual can legally use the name Buddy Poppy.
Today, VFW Buddy Poppies are still assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals.
The VFW Buddy Poppy program provides compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans’ rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home For Children.