SALES OVER £500

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21996, 13 April 1946, Page 4

SALES OVER £SOO

POPPY DAY APPEAL NEW GISBORNE RECORD DISPOSAL OF ALL BLOOMS Anticipations of an excellent sale of noppy blooms yesterday, on the occasion of the Gisborne Returned Services Association’s annual Poppy Day appeal, were fully realised so far as the town campaign was concerned. By 6 p.m. yesterday all blooms had been disposed of. and returns from the sale had created a new Gisborne record exceeding £SOO. Response Most Gratifying The weather favoured the appeal, for few people wore overcoats, and pockets were easily reached. The sellers, who comprised a large number of volunteer helpers of the association, found the response of the public most gratifying, and at an early hour their blooms were decorating a large proportion of lapels and jackets throughout the shopping area. In some parts of the town business people on their way to shops and offices queued up to buy their poppies from sellers in good strategic positions such as bridgeheads. Throughout the day there continued a voluntary spirit among the general public which made the task of the volunteer sales staff comparatively easy. Outstanding aid to the appeal was <*iven by a group of High School students, who covered a lot of ground in the town and suburban areas where other sellers were not available. The enthusiasm and wide-ranging activities of these students yielded the highly satisfactory aggregate sum of £ 180. representing almost two-fifths ot the whole amount secured by town sales. Sales Good in Country Reports from country areas indicate that sales were as good there ,-as in town, and more than one of the R.S.A. sub-committecs handling the blooms in out-of-town districts called for additional supplies. Owing to the heavy sales in town, it was not possible to arrange for additional blooms on this occasion. Assuming that most of the supplies originally sent out of Gisborne were disposed of, a new district record is certain. Last year’s record sale produced £77(1. , In addition to proceeds from the sale of poppies, the Gisborne R.S.A. appeal fund benefited yesterday from direct donations totalling £l9 2s, including an annual gift of £5 5s by Mr. I. lockl and another annual contribution of £2 2s by Messrs. J. S. Allan and t-ons, Ltd.