Poppy Day 2012 taking shape

The RSA is preparing for the 2012 Anzac Day commemorations, which will mark the 97th commemoration since the Gallipoli landings and the 90th anniversary of the Poppy Day Appeal.

RSA Chief Executive Dr Stephen Clarke said the first Poppy Appeal was held in 1922 and since then the annual appeal had only grown.

The 2012 Poppy Appeal, which takes place during the week commencing 16 April with the Street Collection on Friday April 20, will help generate funds for RSA organisations across New Zealand to support their work with veterans as well as ex-servicemen and women and their dependants.

In 2011, $1.7M was raised and Dr Clarke said it remained the most important source of support and funding for the RSA movement across the country.

"All the money raised locally is spent locally - so money raised in a community is spent on the welfare needs of ex-servicemen and women in that community.

"The history of poppies as a mark of respect and remembrance is a remarkable one which goes back to the First World War and the work of Madame Guerin on behalf of the victims of war in northern France," said Dr Clarke.

The first poppies distributed in New Zealand were manufactured by French war widows and the staging of the first Poppy Appeal in 1922 makes it one of the longest continuing appeals held annually in this country.

"Our National Executive which represents our associations around the country have committed to a new poppy supply agreement which commences in 2012 and will have exclusive rights for supplying poppies as requested by our membership."

However, Dr Clarke said that given the tragic events in Christchurch in 2011, the RNZRSA National Executive Committee had offered the Christchurch RSA an opportunity to distribute poppies from its previous stockpiles for use in the 2012 Poppy Day Appeal.

"We recognize the tough conditions that our Christchurch members and their RSAs have had to endure in 2011, including the loss of RSA facilities in the city as a result of the February 22 earthquake."

Dr Clarke said as a charity, the RSAs and our Poppy Trusts needed to maximise their fundraising through the Poppy Day Appeal and to achieve that, finding a cost-effective option for supplying poppies helped the RSA movement to do more in providing support to veterans as well as ex-servicemen and women and their families.

To celebrate 90 years the new 2012 Poppy Day Appeal will have a refreshed look in keeping with the new RSA brand for the future released late last year. The National RSA will be announcing several other initiatives to commemorate Anzac Day 2012 in the coming weeks.