A group of 10 Fredericton women have stopped their knitted poppy production after the New Brunswick Royal Canadian Legion asked them too.
Trish Campbell, who works in a yarn shop, tells CHSJ news for over a week they’ve been donating their time and supplies to create knitted poppies in return for a $5 donation to the legion, with 100% of the money raised going to the vets. She says they thought it would be a nice way to donate money to the local legion.
On Tuesday morning the legion came into the shop and politely asked them to stop due to trademark infringement. Campbell says the group agreed, adding she never meant any disrespect to the legion and it never occurred to them to ask for permission.
The Legion has said they will accept the $800+ the knitters raised, but Campbell says they’ll now discuss whether they’ll donate the money to Fredericton’s veterans’ hospital or to a specific legion division. Regardless, she says 100% of the money raised will go to vets.
Campbell says it takes the knitters 22 minutes to create one poppy and have spent about $200 in materials to create them.
According to Campbell in Australia and the UK they encourage people to knit poppies, and she thinks maybe it’s time our legion can make a change for the good. She will be wearing her knitted poppy on Remembrance Day.
