It’s rush hour. Amid the buzz of conversation and crush of passersby at Scarborough Town Centre, Sarah MacIntosh sits at a table adorned with red poppies.

“My father belonged to the army. He was… in World War II and I just carry on his legacy,” she said.

MacIntosh, who has served as a volunteer with Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 73, for over 10 years, sits behind the table with her colleague. Her work selling poppies ahead of Remembrance Day on Nov. 11 commemorates the contributions of members of the armed forces, especially her dad.

“I carry a picture with him,” she said. “I visit his grave once a week, and on Remembrance Day, I go over and I put a poppy on his grave… I’m always thinking of him.”

The Royal Canadian Legion begins its Poppy campaign every year on the last Friday of October until Remembrance Day. The proceeds from the sale of poppies support veterans and their families. The poppy is a symbol of remembrance for those who lost their lives in combat and those who continue to serve.

“It represents all the veterans that gave their lives to make this country free that we live in. That’s the most important thing. Every time I hear of one of our soldiers being killed, it just breaks my heart,” she added.

MacIntosh encouraged Canadians to support veterans and those who serve this country all year long, not just on Remembrance Day.

“Most of the time we have this table up here; I’m at it. I feel privileged to be selling these for the vets,” she said. “I just wish that everybody could just give a dime or a nickel to the poppies. Wear a poppy. Be proud of it.”