Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Napanee Legion Branch 137 handed out some long over due awards and honours on Sunday, celebrating three years worth of accolades and accomplishments.
Held in the Legion’s upstairs Perrin Hall, the ceremony was a chance to recognize some of the many accomplishments that went unheralded during the pandemic years.
Before handing out medals and special mentions, a round of applause was reserved for the members of the Poppy Campaign, who managed to established a new fundraising high the last two Novembers, bringing in over $30,000 each year.
When it came time to hand out the awards, a trio of lifetime members was added in Chris Ingersoll, Kathy Gardner and Tim Smith.
Dave Gordon and Bill Cormier were both named Legionnaire of the Year in recognition for their many contributions to the local Legion.
The gathering was also the perfect opportunity to dole out pins to recognize members who have been with the club for 15 continuous years all the way up to 50 years, the latter of which included seven members: Bob Beattie, John Morrison, James Mitchell, Wayne Little, Dave Gordon, George Boswell and William Smith.
Special mention was given to Smith, a WWII veteran who will celebrate his 102nd birthday in July.
The closing words were reserved for special guest Ken Heagle, Legion District G president.
“It’s nice to see a lot of people in the room who dye their hair the same colour I do,” said Heagle, referring to his silver hair. “But it’s also nice to see that we got young people coming up, because that’s our future. We’ve done our thing, we worked and we enjoyed it, but now the younger ones, it’s up to you guys to make sure that the Legion carries on and that our veterans get service. That’s our main goal, to serve our veterans. If we continue to do that, we’ll be successful.”