Sunday 31st October 2010
The Chesterfield branch of the Royal British Legion is asking residents to do just that and buy a poppy as the town launched it's annual Poppy Appeal on Saturday.
 His Worship The Mayor of Chesterfield (pictured left, on the right) officially opened the 2010 Poppy Appeal in the Town Centre on Saturday.
Accompanied by the Mayoress, the Poppy Appeal organiser, Margaret Topley, President of the Chesterfield Branch of the Royal British Legion, Jack Carter and Chairman Fred Devereux, he gave a speech encouraging residents to support the Appeal.
The Mayor then bought a Poppy from the table in the Pavements Precinct outside Boots to officially open this year's Appeal.
Here's the speech and some of the evocative sounds from the launch ceremony...
will take place on Remembrance Sunday at the Crooked Spire.
Last year Chesterfield raised £44, 000 towards the 2009 - 2010 campaign, a fact which Margaret Topley, the town's Appeal Organiser, is very proud and grateful of.
The Chesterfield Post spoke to Margaret ahead of the launch to find out about this year's Appeal plans and why it's so important.
Margaret told us that the Appeal,"Helps to generate funds to help ex servicemen and their families after injury or death.
"It's there for every soldier, no matter what conflict they have been in - if they run into hardship they can ask for help. If they die in conflict their wives or children can also be helped by the Charity."
She told us that "EVERY penny raised by the poppy appeal goes to helping soldiers - nothing goes on the admin side."
For the first time this year the launch did not take place on the Market Hall balcony after organisers felt that this year a change would be valuable.
Poppies are now being sold outside Tesco in the Pavements.
As conflicts rage still in Iraq and Afghanistan and many of our soldiers are maimed and killed there every week, it's important to remember that the Appeal and Charity is there not just for WWI and WWII veterans, but those young soldiers and their families too.
Margaret was passionate about the fact that for every soldier killed, there are often 4 maimed, losing legs, arms, sometimes both. One man who Margaret knows lost all his arms and legs, "he was" she said, "just a torso and a head."
"Neither" she points out, "can you underestimate the impact psychologically - many can't sleep on return, with many having flashbacks for years."
Margaret told us that the money raised is well spent. "The British Legion commits £25 million to the Personnel Recovery Centre, including £12 million to their Battle Back Challenge Centre that aims to become a national centre of excellence for adaptive sport and adventure training.£200,000 a day is spent on providing welfare and support for the Armed Forces.
Soldiers and families in the town are affected regularly - The Mayor of Chesterfield has written and will write to families of military personnel with connections to Chesterfield who have lost soldiers in conflict many times during his time in office.
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