Created with love, hand painted rocks supporting local veterans

Tim Brody - Editor

2024 marks the fifth year that Nancy and Mike McCord, along with their children Ethan, Christopher, and Donovan, have created and sold hand painted “poppy rocks” with all donations going to the local Legion Poppy Fund. 
“This came to life in 2020 when Covid was very active. The local Legion members could not go out to sell poppies to raise their own funds, so we brainstormed as a family and came up with this fundraiser to help,” Nancy McCord shared.
“Although it takes a lot of time and effort to create the rocks, we feel that as a family, it is the least that we can do to help support local Veterans,” she added. 
“We have created around 200 rocks again this year, but have had a lot of help from the community. The grade 8FI class and their teacher, Mme. Bowyer painted some rocks for us to sell. Some Library staff, and our family joined the residents and staff at Sioux Towers for an afternoon of creating some Remembrance Day rocks to sell as well. While there, Aileen Urquart created some beautiful poppy greeting cards. She dontated those to our initiative as well and has been busy creating more since our visit. Connie Norman also has since reached out and offered to create Remembrance Day bookmarks to add to the fundraiser,” McCord shared.  
Nancy McCord is also the Assistant Librarian at the Sioux Lookout Public Library. She commented, “We hosted an after school rock painting activity at the Sioux Lookout Public Library and invited the public to join us in rock painting. The families who attended also donated their rocks to this initiative.” 
“The Red Brick Cafe has been gracious enough for us to have set up a display where the items could be purchased. We set up a table outside of Giant Tiger one afternoon to sell the items, as well as people have come to our home to pick up painted rocks. We are hoping the remaining items will sell, but if there are any painted rocks remaining once the fundraiser ends, we will go place them on the graves of our local Veterans,” McCord explained.
 McCord said she and her family are humbled by the support of the community at large and are happy to be able to donate the funds raised to local Veterans on their behalf.