Three sisters are set to make a donation to the Langford Legion for the sixth year in a row this Remembrance Day amidst a shortage of support for the organization.
Donations are down more than $12,000 so far in 2021 compared to previous years, said Royal Canadian Legion Branch 91 President Norman Scott, making the reliable contribution from Metchosin sisters Brylee, Maylin and Everly Apted especially appreciated.
“I’m honoured and I respect these girls for what they do every year,” Scott said. “I’m so excited to be able to take their donation when they come to present it.”
Scott said he is unsure why donations are down, but it is concerning regardless of the reason as the organization relies on public support in order to provide support for those who have served.
Fortunately, the Apted family’s contributions are holding strong and if anything are expected to be even higher then last year, said mother Dani Dwinnell.
“Donations are still coming in, but they have donated more than $2,600 since they first started. The goal for this year is $1,000, and they are already close … last year they donated $920.”
Dwinnell said the initiative was sparked when Brylee, her eldest, came home from kindergarten and said she wanted to do something to help veterans. She grabbed her paints and went to work, selling the first batch of paintings to her neighbours.
Over the years, Brylee has been joined by her two younger sisters, and together they now paint everything from landscapes to rainbows and portraits throughout the year in order to build up enough stock to meet demand.
The trio has sold more than 30 paintings so far this year – the pieces sold to buyers as far away as Newfoundland and Labrador.
“I am such a proud mom,” she said. “They all have hearts of gold and this just shows it.”
For Scott, the dedication the Apted’s have for the country’s veterans is “awesome” as it shows the Legion is succeeding in its mission to keep the memory of past sacrifices alive.
“If we didn’t have a past, we wouldn’t have a future … I think the girls are taking that on on their own and are showing bravery and respect for what our veterans have done for us.”
READ MORE: Legion hoping sense of normalcy returns to this year’s poppy campaign
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