Buddy Poppy Week Proclaimed In Tinley Park

TINLEY PARK, IL — The village board voted to proclaim the week of Sept. 6 - Sept. 11, 2021, as "Buddy Poppy Week" in Tinley Park, at Tuesday night's special board meeting.

In 1922 a New Jersey florist who was passionate about honoring and remembering the men lost in WW1 turned to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States with "an idea that would change remembrance forever," according to alexveteranspark.org. The idea came to life after the woman and VFW brought national distribution of poppies, connecting back to Memorial Day. Later on, the poppy was officially adopted as the memorial flower of the VFW, the website states.

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According to the proclamation, the annual distribution of Buddy Poppies by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States will take place during the week. The week has been recognized and endorsed by government leaders since the 1920s.

The proclamation states that Buddy Poppies are assembled by disabled veterans, and the proceeds of the fundraising campaign are used to benefit disabled veterans in need, along with widows and orphans of those deceased.

The purpose of the distribution is to reflect and help “honor the dead by helping the living.” The village encourages residents of Tinley Park to donate on days donations are being accepted, as a way to show "appreciation for the sacrifices of our honored dead."

The village also encourages residents to wear a Buddy Poppy during the week to show gratitude for the men and women in the U.S. who have "risked their lives in defense of the freedoms which we continue to enjoy as American citizens."

Learn more about the proclaimed week here (Page 25).

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