Our local VFW Post #5849 in Niantic recently conducted a donation drive over the recent Veterans Day weekend to support veterans in distress and/or need by soliciting donations for the well-known "Buddy Poppies" — those small, symbolic flowers often seen worn in a lapel or wrapped around a vehicle mirror. We were awed by the generosity of the general public in supporting this cause — 100% of the collected funds will be used during the coming year to help those veterans needing help. We want to thank the several East Lyme businesses who allowed our Post/Auxiliary members to solicit in front of their businesses: Stop & Shop, Adams/Tri-Town Foods, The Shack, True Value Cash Home Center and CVS Niantic. Costco and Niantic Rotary also contributed monetary donations for Poppies. It was a cold and windy weekend for our members to solicit, but the wonderful gratitude by the public for veterans who have sacrificed for this great nation kept us warm in heart and spirit. Thank you for all who contributed!

Robert Guenther, 2023 Poppy chairman

Niantic