It’s been 69 years since the Second World War ended, but interest in Remembrance Day is on the upswing according to war veteran advocate Carol Everson.

The Royal Gazette spoke with her as she sold poppies in Hamilton for the Bermuda Legion. Money from the poppy appeal goes toward the care of Bermuda’s remaining war veterans, who are thought to number around 215.

“A few years ago the Remembrance Day Parade and poppy appeal was quite diminished,” Ms Everson said. “But there is now a lot more interest.”

Ms Everson served in the Bermuda Regiment for nine years.

“Since I marched in the parade with the Bermuda Regiment last year, it was hard to count heads, but the crowd was definitely looking a little more tightly packed.”

It is estimated that about 400 spectators attended last year. Ms Everson partly credited the perceived increase in parade participation to her own efforts to raise awareness of war veterans’ contributions in Bermuda.

“I am getting into the schools and talking to students,” she said. “Last year, I did 11 school talks. This year I did several in the senior schools.”

She said the young people are often very interested.

“Going into the primary schools, kids just swarm me to buy poppies,” she said.

“It is just beautiful. Inevitably, someone had a grandfather or great grandfather who was a veteran.

“So far, we have 6,000 poppies to sell. We are trying to get back to the first days when everyone wore a poppy. The first poppies were actually sold in Bermuda by Girl Guides and Brownies.”

This year, money from poppy sales will go towards training people to care for dementia patients. The course will be offered next year to anyone who is interested, for $25 a person.

“Although the numbers of veterans are falling, the cost of their care is increasing,” said Ms Everson.

“Many of those veterans who are left have dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.”

Interest among residents The Royal Gazette spoke to is still there, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into attendance at tomorrow’s Remembrance Day parade.

While many acknowledged the importance of the day, those attending appear to be the exception rather than the rule, even among older Bermudians.

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