Paint And Dine With American Legion On April 5

Join American Legion Post 175 for a paint-and-dine event featuring poppy flowers on Friday, April 5, from 6:00pm to 11:00pm at 832 Manhattan Beach Road in Severna Park.

Doors open at 6:00pm and painting starts at 7:00pm. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to this year’s American Legion Auxiliary poppy program. Email Judy McDonald at msmlaxmom@gmail.com to reserve a seat. For each ticket sold, $10 will go the auxiliary poppy fund.

Here a few facts about the remembrance poppy:

• The red poppy came to symbolize the blood shed while protecting Americans' freedom following the publication of the wartime poem “In Flanders Fields.” Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem while he was serving in World War I because he wanted to honor soldiers killed in battle.
• The red poppy as a memorial became popular in November 1918.
• In 1923, the poppy became the official flower of the American Legion family.
• Veterans handcraft the flowers with assistance from unpaid volunteers.
• Veterans who devote five to six hours per day assembling the red crepe paper poppies can make as many as 2,000 to 3,000 poppies per week.
• In 2017, the American Legion Auxiliary raised more than $5.5 million from poppy donations.