Legion Presents “The Immortal Poppy”

OTTAWA, Oct. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Royal Canadian Legion unveils “The Immortal Poppy” in 2021, to help mark the 100^th anniversary of the poppy as the symbol of Remembrance in Canada. This digital art is another way to preserve the memory of 118,000 fallen Canadian soldiers dating back to 1812, by encrypting their names on an enduring digital symbol.

One hundred limited-edition pieces of digital artwork in the form of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are up for sale on the online marketplace, OpenSea and are symbolically priced at 0.1111 ETH (Ethereum; a cryptocurrency amount currently equivalent to $550.00) to represent the day of Remembrance. Each piece features a 60-second looping image (NFT). The art was created using a genuine poppy gathered from Flanders Fields in Belgium and 3D scanned to preserve it for eternity.

“We are thrilled to add such a special feature to this year’s National Poppy Campaign,” says Bruce Julian, Dominion President. “It’s a touching tribute to our fallen, an innovative way to remember them forever, and a means of supporting our Veterans.”

The Poppy’s petals are graced with the names of fallen soldiers as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the honour of sacrifice. The art features a large memorial wall with the names of 118,000 fallen soldiers. There are 10 unique versions of the NFT based on ten highlighted Veterans’ stories. One of them is Nichola Goddard — the first female soldier killed in battle.

“We’re honoured to have Nichola commemorated in this year’s National Poppy Campaign, which continues to play a critical role in supporting Canadian veterans and their families,” says Katherine Rusk, the sister of Captain Nichola Goddard. “Approximately 2500 Canadian military personnel are medically released every year, which also impacts 700 spouses and 900 children. We’re thankful that Nichola’s legacy can help support these families in need.”

Here are the ten Veteran stories being highlighted (in no particular order):

1) Nichola Kathleen Sarah Goddard (the first female Canadian combat soldier killed)

2) Buckam Singh (One of the first Sikh soldiers to serve Canada)

3) Frederick Lee (The first Chinese Canadian to die for our country)

4) Alex Decoteau (A Cree Canadian and Summer Olympian who died in battle)

5) Mark Graham (A black Olympian who fell in Afghanistan)

6) Huron Brant (One of more than 200 Indigenous Canadians who gave their lives)

7) The O’Brien Brothers (Four Newfoundland brothers who died in the Second World War)

8) Robert Powell (Member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame)

9) Thomas Welch (Soldier who died by suicide attributable to military service) and

10) George Lawrence Price (The last Canadian to die in the First World War).

All proceeds from the sale of each piece of digital art will go towards the Legion’s Poppy Trust Fund, as will 10% of each secondary sale. In this way, subsequent sales will create a perpetual donation mechanism for the Poppy Trust Fund.

The “Immortal Poppy” launches today as part of the overall National Poppy Campaign that begins on October 29, 2021. For more information, visit https://www.immortalpoppy.com/.

Resources:
Click here for an explanatory video.

Click here for images.

About The Royal Canadian Legion
Founded in 1925, the Legion is Canada’s largest Veteran support and community service organization. We are a non-profit organization with a national reach across Canada as well as branches in the U.S. and Europe. With close to 250,000 members, many of whom volunteer an extraordinary amount of time to their branches, our strength is in our numbers.

Public Relations/Media Inquiries: Nujma Bond 613-591-3335 ext. 241 or [email protected]
Legion.ca

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/17925ea4-a8cb-4cb7-bbeb-b7c9a2476fb9