One hundred more secure poppy collection boxes will be used in Cochrane during the upcoming Poppy campaign thanks to Hunterwood Technologies Ltd.and several generous supporters.

In addition to revealing the results of the successful cenotaph fundraising campaign, Dan Kroffat announced Hunterwood Technologies Ltd. is manufacturing more of the secure boxes for the upcoming campaign.

Lance Schreiner, who brought to life the idea of Kroffat, says they reached out to suppliers and customers for assistance. In the matter of a day, they raised $1,200 to manufacture the boxes.

"Nobody hesitated," he says. "We raised all that money within a day and then got everything going so we could have them ready for the campaign."

Dan KroffatDan Kroffat with the secure steel collection box.

The company isn't profiting from the project, nor have they in the past.

"We didn't make a dime from it by any means. It was as many as we could build for the amount of money we collected. It worked out to 100 boxes on the dot."

Many contributed cash and others donated their services and time.

Schreiner says Cochrane is growing, but its people and companies remain very community-oriented.

"It's nice when you can call out to locals, say this is what we're doing and they don't hesitate to get on board to help."

He hopes they continue to help the local campaign.

"There were places in Cochrane that wouldn't take poppy boxes anymore because they were tired of people stealing them."

Upset over the number of collection boxes going missing in Calgary, Kroffat launched a 2015 campaign to replace the missing money. He also vowed to find a way to prevent the thefts with the development of a secure box. The new improved boxes were available in time for the 2016 Poppy Campaign.

Kroffat reached out for help from EGB Manufacturing, which has since been purchased by Hunterwood Technologies. 

"I took his idea, drew up a couple of things, made a couple of prototypes, worked out some details and we came up with this design, which is substantially better," says Schreiner. "It's simple to use, simple to manufacture, and easy to store."

There will now be about 160 of the boxes used by the Cochrane Legion. The Summerland Legion also caught wind of the boxes and EGB extended the same offer of providing the boxes at cost.

If the idea catches on nationally, Schreiner says he'll deal with it when the time comes.

"That I can deal with it. I would love it if other provinces got on board or even other cities for that matter. It doesn't necessarily have to go to every shop everywhere, but it can be helpful in places that are less than desirable. I'd rather them have a box like this and continue to be part of the program than not accept poppy boxes anymore because they don't want the responsibility."

Legion president Karen Bruens says the additional 100 secure boxes will make a big difference to the local campaign.

"Cochrane is growing. We have more places this year than we had last year. We have more traffic. The locked boxes mean that a proprietor doesn't have to be standing right over the box for fear they may going missing."

The Cochrane Legion distributes in the neighborhood of 400 poppy boxes in Cochrane and have recently been asked to supply some in Kananaskis. The Legion's Poppy Committee strategically selects where the secure metal boxes are placed.

The local campaign is being launched on Oct. 24. New this year is Canada's largest Poppy Fund collection box. The box used for the cenotaph project has been rebranded. Currently, it is scheduled to be located at McDonald's Restaurant on 5th Ave. from Oct. 24 to Nov. 8. It will then be located at the Legion Hall on Nov. 9-10.