Kitchener man makes wooden poppy pins to thank local legion

A Kitchener, Ont. man has crafted 150 wooden poppy pins to be sold, with all of the proceeds going tothe Royal Canadian Legion branch where he is a long time member.

Mike Cassidy said he wanted to do a "little bit of a special thing" for the Legion's FredGiesBranch 50, to note the 100th anniversary of the signing of the First World War armistice.

"[It's] a thank you [to the Legion] for allowing me to be a member," said Cassidy. " I do it because I want to do it and I enjoy doing it."

Proceeds will be used by the branch on Belmont Ave.for maintenance or special projects.

'Selling them anywhere people will buy them'

Cassidy crafts the poppies which he's selling for $5 at the Kitchener-Waterloo Woodworking and Craft Centre on Ottawa Street. A pattern was designed at the woodworking location that evokes the design of the familiarpoppy stickers the Legion distributes.

Hesells them topeople he encounters at area restaurants, coffee shops and at the legion.

"[I sell them] anywhere that people will buy them," said Cassidy.

Cassidy will also be outside a local grocery store in Kitchener where he'll sell traditional poppies for the legion.

Cassidy was a member of the Canadian Army. While he was with the Armed Forces he served with members of military who helped people across the country during flood and storm disasters.

Keeping count of the pins

This isn't his first woodworking project making pins. His most popular, a maple leafwith a heart in the centre and the message "I love Canada" has been distributed around the world.

"The guys in the club figure in ten years that I've been making them I've made 45,000 of them," said Cassidy. "And they've gone to China, Australia, Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia. When the boys were going to Afghanistan if I knew anybody going I sent them 50 pins."

The Remembrance Day poppy project isn't the end of his endeavours this autumn: his next woodworking venture is the crafting of 500 wooden stars for an event at the Doon Pioneer Village in December.