Shawnigan Lake含羞草研究社檚 Jim Carey and his staff at Mason含羞草研究社檚 Store & Patio Ltd. appreciate the war veterans in their community, and they showed their heartwarming commitment recently after thieves left the poppy coffers empty.

On Halloween night, a poppy box from the Malahat含羞草研究社檚 Royal Legion Branch 134 was stolen from Mason含羞草研究社檚 Store, which is owned by Carey, and the store stepped up to ensure the loss was more than covered.

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Carey personally donated $100 to the legion branch, his manager gave $20, and Carey含羞草研究社檚 uncle Rick Mason donated $40 when he heard about the theft.

含羞草研究社淢y grandfather Pat Mason, a veteran of the Second World War, helped build that legion,含羞草研究社� Carey said.

含羞草研究社淗e and my grandmother also bought Mason含羞草研究社檚 Store in 1956, so there含羞草研究社檚 a strong connection between my store and the Malahat Legion.含羞草研究社�

Carey said the store has had poppy boxes from the legion in the days running up to Remembrance Day for years without anything like this happening.

含羞草研究社淲e were getting the store ready for Halloween and didn含羞草研究社檛 notice when someone in the store must have taken the poppy box,含羞草研究社� he said.

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Legion member Virginia Bauder said she can含羞草研究社檛 recall another theft of a poppy box in her six years as part of the local legion含羞草研究社檚 poppy campaign.

The money from the Royal Canadian Legion含羞草研究社檚 Poppy Fund campaign is used to help local veterans and their families who are in need.

含羞草研究社淲hat Jim and the store did was an act of kindness that we won含羞草研究社檛 forget,含羞草研究社� Bauder said.

含羞草研究社淭here might have been $15 or $20 in the box at most. It wasn含羞草研究社檛 his fault and he didn含羞草研究社檛 have to give us the money, but this is Shawnigan Lake and it含羞草研究社檚 full of good people.含羞草研究社�

Bauder said the theft was reported to the RCMP.

robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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