Progress is being made on the “Salute a Veteran” banner program organized by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 18 in Wallaceburg.
“Right now we have sponsorship for 24 banners,” said Peter Polkinghorne, part of the committee.
“They are going to be in the core of downtown. We are working on the banner. It says our partners are the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, obviously because we have to get permission to put the banners up from Chatham-Kent so they are a partner and the Wallaceburg BIA, the Business Improvement Association.”
He added: “So they are going to be in the core of town which will be from about just around Riversite to just at the library. It is an open date but the guys from the town are going to be putting them up, sometime mid-October until shortly after Remembrance Day.”
Polkinghorne said they borrowed the idea from the Legion in Harriston.
“This will be their third year I believe,” he said.
“They have been doing this and they learned of it from a Legion in New Brunswick. In our area, we are doing it, Wheatley are already have similar idea. Same with Blenheim this year they are going to be putting something up as well. ”
Here are some details about the banners:
– Banner size is 24” x 54”
– Made from 19 ounce vinyl
– Using a two pole installation with pockets at top and bottom of each banner
– Both sides of the banner are identical, with: the Canadian flag in top left corner, the British flag in top right corner, the wording ‘Lest We Forget’, Veteran photo (usually black and white in military uniform), Veteran Name, Branch of Military, sponsor name, and emblems (to be determined.)
– The cost of each banner is $200, which will be paid by the sponsor and this includes the banner, installation, removal and storage or possibly displayed at our branch.
– The sponsor can be the family or a business that wishes to sponsor veterans, both past and present, and those from this immediate area will be the focus.
– The committee consists of Mike Hindmarsh, branch president, Dan Young and Lee Marshall, the poppy campaign co-chairs, and Peter Polkinghorne, the public relations chairperson.
– Submitted photo
