Media Release | RSA National
18 April 2013

Poppy Continues to Support

Street collectors will be out around the country tomorrow exchanging poppies for a donation to the RSA Poppy Appeal.

RSA Chief Executive Dr Stephen Clarke said the first Poppy Appeal was held in 1922 and since then the annual appeal has only grown.

“Last year was a record year for the appeal collecting $1.8m. The generosity of everyday Kiwis has helped the RSA Poppy Appeal provide practical care and support to all who have served and their families since the first Anzacs returned. Almost 100 years on, servicemen and women continue to return and the RSA continues to support them,” said Dr Clarke.

The Poppy Appeal is a local appeal nationwide. Funds collected go to the local Poppy Trust to provide practical support for those in need. Recipients need not be members of an RSA.

RSA Support can cover specialist medical appointments, surgery, hospital visits, glasses, hearing aids and a range of other practical, social and emotional needs. Financial assistance is also available where essential needs cannot be met by other agencies.

Dr Clarke says “It’s a common misconception that only soldiers from the first and second World Wars required support, yet New Zealand has thousands of men, women and children who have been affected by conflict in more recent decades. It’s an honour for the RSA to make a tangible difference to the lives of those who have served. The RSA supports families not just at the time of loss, but as valued members of our community for a lifetime.”
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