Last Sunday, in the first draw of this round of the Walkerton Legion’s Catch the Ace, Stephanie Galbraith had chosen envelope No. 9, which contained a spade. Luckily for the rest of us, it was the 3 and not the Ace. She won $188, last week’s amount for having her ticket drawn. The more tickets that are sold, the bigger the weekly prize and the more money that gets added to the cumulative jackpot. In the beginning there are fewer tickets available for sale, so although the pot is not as large, ironically your chance of winning is greater!
Speaking of winning (or rather not winning), if Ruth Critchfield had signed in on her birthday she would have won the members-only draw that day at Branch 102!
Ruth regularly recruits the volunteers for our meat draws, so I’m sure she would want to remind everyone that our first meat draw since reopening will be coming up on Saturday, Feb. 19 starting at 3 p.m.
Remember your sweetie on Valentine’s Day next week! Whether or not they are members of the Branch, we remember our veterans or their widows who are in Brucelea Haven and Maple Court, and we’ll be sending Valentine’s Day cards with best wishes from all of us at Branch 102. Don’t forget to let the Branch know when any of our members are ill, in the hospital. Phone number is 519-881-0821, or drop in during regular hours: Monday to Saturday starting at 3 p.m. or Sundays starting at 1 p.m.
We also remember John Thomas Blackwood, who was born Feb. 12, 1893 in Ireland, and enlisted in Walkerton on Feb. 8, 1915. Private Blackwood, No. 602189, was 5’8” with blue eyes and light brown hair, and sailed to England on board the SS Californian. He received training in Bramshott and West Sandling before proceeding to France on March 24, 1916. Less than three months later, on June 13, 1916, John Blackwood was missing and presumed dead. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, one of 55,000 soldiers and officers lost without trace at the Ypres Salient.
Lest We Forget.
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Jan Briggs-McGowan is a member of the Walkerton Legion. Her column appears here weekly.
