Mr. Hughes is a Veteran of the British Army and a retired Canadian Forces Veteran. He has been a member of the Billy Bishop RCL Branch since 1995, serving as a Director and currently as Branch Archivist. A highly dedicated Poppy Fund volunteer, each year he dons his 1950s British uniform with medals, and positions himself in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver collecting donations. From early in the morning until 6:00 pm in the week prior to Remembrance Day, Mr. Hughes greets passers-by and solicits donations. His personal dedication has raised considerable sums of money over the years and in particular during the past few years. He raised approximately $13,500 in 2005, $14,800 in 2006, and a record-breaking amount of $16,225 in 2007. This amounts to almost 50 percent of the entire collection by the Branch. As the Archivist for his Legion, Mr. Hughes has transformed his Branch into a first-class military club, while maintaining an active membership. As a result of Mr. Hughes' efforts, the Branch was recently admitted to membership in the Organization of Military Museums of Canada - one of only two such RCLbranches - in recognition of the many new military memorial tributes which he has created and placed on its walls. Mr. Hughes is to be commended for his unwavering commitment to the Poppy Campaign in Vancouver.