The Town of Okotoks held its annual Remembrance Day ceremony at Pason Centennial Arena Wednesday morning. The ceremony gave people the chance to remember those who have risked and lost their lives for our freedom.

President of the Okotoks Legion Bob McLeod says the ceremony gives him and other officers a chance to come together and honour those officers who went overseas and fell in combat.

"A lot of the benefits that we have, a warm bed, a nice house, we can go to school and play with our friends, so many parts of the world don't have or wouldn't have if Canadians hadn't gone overseas as they did and of course many went over and didn't come back," McLeod says.

The Legion put 400 poppy boxes out in the community this year and according to McLeod, the support from the community this year has been outstanding.

Some members of the legion put in as much as 88 hours into the poppy campaign in the last week.

As people filed into the arena either with a poppy already on or picking one up before heading into the arena, a group of young men attending the ceremony said that it is just one of the little things we as a community can do for them to show our thanks.

"To me it represents just what they do for us, the character they show and just a little donation we can put towards them to show that we support them in everything that they do."

Members of the Foothills Air and Army Cadets were a part of the guard during the ceremony standing guard at the Cenotaph and saying it is an honour to do that job as it is an important position in the past and is now a ceremonial position that makes you feel honoured.

"Definitely just paying respect to everyone and appreciating what people do for our country and for the people that live in it. It is definitely a service that should be appreciated and respected."

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