Where you can find your "Buddy Poppy" 

April 5th, 2025 - Locations Below

The weather is getting nicer, and everyone wants to get OUTSIDE!!!  So, as the old saying goes "April showers bring May Flowers".  Well, the VFW will have a special flower that will be presented….The "Buddy Poppy".  Members of the VFW Post 280 and Auxiliary will be in full force at different locations around Columbia from 10AM to 4PM on April 5th, 2025.  So come see us at the following locations and get your poppy.  Donations are always welcome, but not necessary.  

Hy-Vee - Conley Road

Hy-Vee - Broadway

Hy-Vee - Nifong

Westlake - Worley

Bass Pro

If you or anyone you know would like to assist, we are still needing volunteers to work the booths.  Contact us at www.vfwpost280.org or call us at 573-825-0859.

A Little History

The Buddy Poppy program was initiated by the VFW before Memorial Day in 1922, making it the first veterans' organization to organize a nationwide distribution of poppies. The poppy was adopted as the official memorial flower of the VFW, symbolizing the sacrifices made by veterans.

In 1923, the VFW decided that Buddy Poppies would be assembled by disabled and needy veterans, providing them with financial assistance. The following year, the Buddy Poppy factory in Pittsburgh began assembling the poppies. The name "Buddy Poppy" was registered with the U.S. Patent Office in 1924, granting the VFW exclusive rights to the name.

The Buddy Poppy program serves multiple purposes:

- Compensation: Provides financial compensation to veterans who assemble the poppies.

- Support: Supports state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs.

- Awareness: Raises awareness about the sacrifices made by veterans and the importance of supporting them.

The VFW encourages communities to host Buddy Poppy drives and issue special proclamations to show their support. The program also partially supports the VFW National Home, which provides assistance to military and veteran families.