Save the Greely Legion Branch 627
Donation protected
HELP HELP HELP
The Greely Legion needs your help ! COVID-19 has made impossible to keep the Branch operating. Many residents of Greely and the surrounding area associate the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 627 with the annual Poppy Campaign as well as the place to go inside for Remembrance Day ceremonies. But we do so much more.
As a Not-For-Profit organization, we are very proud to serve not only active and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP, but also a wide variety of community groups, youth, and seniors. We are well known in the area for our annual Country and Western Jamboree, our country music afternoons and our dance events (including our New Years celebration). Further, we are a competitively priced location for events like weddings, group fundraisers, special dinners, and other celebrations.
Unfortunately, in March 2020 due to the world health emergency we had to close our doors. As a Not-For-Profit organization we depend solely on revenue from bar sales, hall rentals and kitchen sales to pay operating expenses. Further, we are prohibited from using any of the Poppy funds raised to pay for heat or hydro (any utilities) – those funds can only be used to support veterans and community projects to support veterans AND we do not currently qualify for any government COVID related assistance .
Our Legion like most in Canada is administered by an elected committee of volunteers, which have been working since closing the doors to cut costs to the bare minimum and to find means of raising the money to keep the facility heated. Given that we are now approaching the winter months we are now in dire need of funds for the facility or will have to shut it down and face additional costs in repairs. In order to pay for our back utilities and to take us through until June 2021 we require approximately $60K. And we truly understand and appreciate that there are people who wish to help us but are financially challenged by the COVID crisis and cannot make a donation at this time (we truly appreciate you keeping us in your thoughts and for your moral support). There is a very detailed article in the Ottawa Citizen by Bruce Deachman https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/local-legion-branches-just-scraping-by-as-war-of-attrition-with-covid-19-wears-on that is very informative.
And just as a side note we would like to point out to former and serving members of the military that the facility was once part of the NRS/HMCS/CFS Gloucester where many members of the 291 community were trained. The building used by the Legion is the last facility remaining from HMCS Gloucester - the old gym which plays a historical role in the Sigs community.
PLEASE do not let this Branch close … It does so much to support the community
The Greely Legion needs your help ! COVID-19 has made impossible to keep the Branch operating. Many residents of Greely and the surrounding area associate the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 627 with the annual Poppy Campaign as well as the place to go inside for Remembrance Day ceremonies. But we do so much more.
As a Not-For-Profit organization, we are very proud to serve not only active and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the RCMP, but also a wide variety of community groups, youth, and seniors. We are well known in the area for our annual Country and Western Jamboree, our country music afternoons and our dance events (including our New Years celebration). Further, we are a competitively priced location for events like weddings, group fundraisers, special dinners, and other celebrations.
Unfortunately, in March 2020 due to the world health emergency we had to close our doors. As a Not-For-Profit organization we depend solely on revenue from bar sales, hall rentals and kitchen sales to pay operating expenses. Further, we are prohibited from using any of the Poppy funds raised to pay for heat or hydro (any utilities) – those funds can only be used to support veterans and community projects to support veterans AND we do not currently qualify for any government COVID related assistance .
Our Legion like most in Canada is administered by an elected committee of volunteers, which have been working since closing the doors to cut costs to the bare minimum and to find means of raising the money to keep the facility heated. Given that we are now approaching the winter months we are now in dire need of funds for the facility or will have to shut it down and face additional costs in repairs. In order to pay for our back utilities and to take us through until June 2021 we require approximately $60K. And we truly understand and appreciate that there are people who wish to help us but are financially challenged by the COVID crisis and cannot make a donation at this time (we truly appreciate you keeping us in your thoughts and for your moral support). There is a very detailed article in the Ottawa Citizen by Bruce Deachman https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/local-legion-branches-just-scraping-by-as-war-of-attrition-with-covid-19-wears-on that is very informative.
And just as a side note we would like to point out to former and serving members of the military that the facility was once part of the NRS/HMCS/CFS Gloucester where many members of the 291 community were trained. The building used by the Legion is the last facility remaining from HMCS Gloucester - the old gym which plays a historical role in the Sigs community.
PLEASE do not let this Branch close … It does so much to support the community
Organizer
Henry Doucette
Organizer
Gloucester, ON