About 8,000 handmade crocheted poppies have transformed the Scugog Township office in Port Perry, Ont., into a large Remembrance Day display, bringing together contributions from nearby communities and as far away as France and England.

The quilt-like installation had been hanging for two weeks when CBC Toronto reported on the project. Organizer Sharon Runnalls, who co-owns a Port Perry floral shop, told CBC she drew inspiration from similar displays in England.

“I wanted to do something very large and impactful,” she said.

The poppies are fastened to baseball nets with zip ties. Runnalls said she wanted the banner to move in the wind, evoking flowers blowing in a field.

The effort grew out of a smaller tribute she first created four years ago: a dress displayed in her shop, assembled using poppies bought from the legion, crocheted poppies and hot glue. The community’s positive response encouraged her to bring the display back annually and eventually pursue a larger installation.

Runnalls approached the township and the legion last year for approval, then sought contributions from crochet and knitting groups. She surpassed her initial goal of collecting 7,000 poppies.

People in Uxbridge, Oshawa, Whitby, Toronto and East Gwillimbury contacted her for yarn or crochet patterns. Contributions also included five poppies from France and about a dozen from England, she told CBC.

“Seniors, young kids, all across generations. The response was huge,” Runnalls said.

The finished display has drawn emotional reactions from visitors. Lee Ann Brubacher of Ottawa stopped while travelling through the area and was moved to tears. She told CBC her father had served in the armed forces.

Trudy Savinsky, a 91-year-old visitor from Newmarket, said the poppies brought back memories of the Second World War and the sacrifices made by families.

“Every soldier has got a family, nice people who remember them,” she said.

Runnalls said Port Perry also marks remembrance with street-light banners and storefront displays. Donations for her project are continuing: she told CBC she already had another 1,500 crocheted poppies ready to add to a bigger installation next year.

Reporting source: Olivia Piercey/CBC Toronto.

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