Legion Week to be celebrated throughout Shelburne with several local events community

Written By PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Shelburne residents will soon have the chance to learn more about the role the Shelburne Legion plays in the greater community and its veteran members.

The Shelburne Legion Branch 220 will be celebrating National Legion Week from Sept. 21 to Sept. 27 with various events open to the community.

“We look forward to the general public coming in and seeing what we're all about,” said Dan Sample, president of Branch 220.

National Legion Week kicks off every year on the third Sunday of September in honour of Battle of Britain Day and wraps up on the following Saturday.

Started in 2023, National Legion Week is designed to educate visitors on the work their local legion branch is doing for their community, with the hope of driving new traffic to the branches, attracting new members to sign up, and encouraging new volunteers. The observance week also aims to reinforce the important role legion branches play in supporting local veterans while also contributing to the well-being of the community.

During the week, Royal Canadian Legion branches are encouraged to host open-house style events and activities.

“It's really important that the public knows our mission in supporting the veterans and the many means that we use to support them,” said Sample. “Without the public support, these things fall by the wayside and it's harder [for us] to support the veterans.”

The Shelburne Legion will start their National Legion Week events on Sept. 21 with a Patio Party BBQ from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. featuring music by DJ Sassy Sandra. On Sept. 25, Branch 220 will be hosting “Thirsty Thursday” from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with live music by CJ Travler. To close out National Legion Week, the Shelburne Legion will welcome The Hip Machine, a tribute band of The Tragically Hip. Tickets are available in advance at the legion's bar.

Over the week, the Shelburne Legion will also have its regular ongoing events, including Monday Night Bingo, Dart Night, and Wing Special Night.

While marking National Legion Week with various community events, the Shelburne Legion will also be raising donations for Operation: Leave the Streets Behind, a program developed by The Royal Canadian Legion to identify and assist homeless Veterans and those at-risk of homelessness.

Sample said that the Shelburne Legion has been able to assist around four veterans experiencing homelessness during his time as president of the local branch.

“It's something that's out there and people need to be aware of it. We're bringing it to the forefront for everybody to be aware about what's happening with our veterans, and our mission to get them off the streets and help them into places where they can be safe and warm throughout the winter months and find stability for them too,” said Sample.

The Shelburne Legion branch was first established in 1931 by a group of local veterans as a way to come together, and in December 2021, it officially marked its 90th year. The numbering of legion branches is based on the order in which they were established, meaning the local legion was the 220th to open. 

National Legion Week will run from Sept. 21 to Sept. 27.

“I would encourage residents to come on out and see what we're about; what we do for the community and how we support the veterans,” said Sample. “It's not necessarily about being a member, but being part of the community, volunteering, and helping.

A complete schedule of the National Legion Week events at the Shelburne Legion can be found on their Facebook page – Shelburne Legion Branch 220.