Mortgage lender gives facelift to Canada's traditional Poppy Campaign
HomeEquity Bank, provider of the CHIP Reverse Mortgage, has launched an initiative to provide Canadians with another way to support veterans this year.
HomeEquity Bank is the official presenting partner of the 2019 Royal Canadian Legion Digital Poppy Campaign, which complements the traditional lapel Poppy that millions of Canadians wear each year from the last Friday in October to Remembrance Day on Nov. 11. The Digital Poppy can be personalized and dedicated to anyone who served, and then shared on social media.
"On behalf of our customers and employees, HomeEquity Bank is proud to honour and support all Veterans who served our country," said HomeEquity Bank CEO Steven Ranson. "We hope all Canadians take a moment to mark Remembrance Day by creating their own personalized Digital Poppy and sharing their stories."
HomeEquity Bank is also producing a national TV ad featuring one of Canada's oldest living veterans, Private (Ret'd) Ardwell "Art" Eyres. In it, Eyres is helped by his granddaughter as he dedicates a Digital Poppy to his friend and mentor, Sgt. Maj. John Copeland.
As veterans age, their stories fade, and the digital campaign is focused on reaching the next generation of Canadians. In contrast to the lives of young Canadians a century ago, most young Canadians today don’t have a direct connection to armed conflict. HomeEquity Bank hopes that the Digital Poppy campaign will serve to provide people with visible, sharable reference points and ensure that veterans’ stories are not forgotten.
HomeEquity Bank and the Canadian Legion are partnering with high-profile influencers on Twitch, the world's most popular video game streaming service, to send an important message to young Canadians: for Veterans and their families, war is not a game. On Remembrance Day at 11:00 am, the biggest Canadian Twitch streamers will #PauseToRemember and mark an online moment of silence while displaying a call for Digital Poppy donations in their Twitch channels.
In an effort to raise as much money for Veterans as possible, HomeEquity Bank and the Legion will also support the Digital Poppy on social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
"The Royal Canadian Legion thanks HomeEquity Bank for their strong support of the Digital Poppy, an innovative and modern way for people to donate online," says Legion Dominion President Thomas D. Irvine, CD.
All funds raised through MyPoppy.ca are directed to the Legion's Poppy Fund, which provides a variety of services to Veterans and their families at no cost across the country.
