The Anzac Poppy Bowl was given to the Dunedin RSA by Mr Gordon as part of an ongoing project to make and distribute the bowls — made of recycled native wood and pounamu — to RSAs, churches and marae around the country.
So far, more than 140 of the bowls have been made, each including a piece of pounamu donated by West Coast iwi.
In a letter of testimony, Mr Gordon said the bowls would be "the home of the humble Anzac Poppy".
"Ever so small, all Anzac Poppies will stand head and shoulders above tall poppies."
Poppies were the symbol of respect and integrity, and viewing them encouraged people to think of the many thousands of lives lost in wars, to give thanks, reflect, and take solace, he said.
Poppy Day
The 101st annual Poppy Day collection will be held nationwide tomorrow.
In Dunedin, volunteers from local groups and businesses will staff 14 poppy street collection stands at prominent sites around the city, from 8am-4pm. Cadets will also hold a collection at supermarkets and the Otago Farmers Market on Saturday, from 9am-noon.
In addition, local businesses, schools and organisations have more than 20,000 poppies to sell.
Alongside the boxes of poppies, there will be posters displaying a QR code, which people could scan to make a donation to the Dunedin RSA.
Poppy Day is the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association’s main fundraising activity, with donations collected on Poppy Day helping to improve the health and well-being of New Zealand veterans of all ages.
