Auxiliary members of American Legion Post 201 understand the sacrifices the Armed Forces have made to preserve freedom. To honor past and current American service members, the members of the Legion will wear red memorial poppies as a sign of their appreciation on Veterans Day weekend.

The American Legion Auxiliary memorial poppy is a symbol of the price of war and the sacrifice of millions.

The 900,000 members of the American Legion Auxiliary, the world’s largest patriotic service organization of women, are asking every American citizen to wear a poppy on the observance of Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, in addition to the entire preceding weekend.

“Wear it in honor of the millions of Americans who have willingly served our nation, all too many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Lee Harrison, President of the Ladies Auxiliary, Post 201.

“This entire Veterans Day weekend we will pay an honored tribute to all veterans, especially those who are currently serving in the War on Terror,” she added.

The poppy also honors the hospitalized and disabled veterans who make the red, handcrafted flowers. The poppy continues to provide a financial and therapeutic benefit to those veterans who construct them, as well as benefiting thousands of other veterans and their families by the revenues collected from poppy distributions.

In the battlefields of Belgium during World War I, poppies grew wild amid the ravages of war. The overturned soils of battle enabled the poppy seeds to be covered, allowing them to grow and forever serve as a reminder of the bloodshed of war.

Support the American Legion Auxiliary in recognizing the sacrifice of veterans by making a donation to the local poppy fund and by wearing a red memorial poppy this Veterans Day weekend. Poppies will be distributed by volunteers from the Auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion on Saturday, November 07 at various locations in and around Alpharetta.

Poppies will also be distributed at the Veterans Benefit Fish Fry provided by the American Legion Riders (Post 201’s motorcycle club) to be held at American Legion Post 201 on Post Road in Alpharetta from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday November 11. Legion Riders will have their motorcycles on display, so come join them at Post 201 for some fantastic fish and fundraising fun.