ANZAC Day: Keep the spirit alive at home

Courage, mateship, endurance and sacrifice. The ANZAC qualities which were forged on the battlefields at Gallipoli 105 years ago are still relevant in our communities today.

Perhaps never before in recent times have we needed to call on our ANZAC Spirit to endure everything 2020 has challenged us with so far.

This ANZAC Day – Saturday 25 April – will be different, but is still a chance to stop and remember those who have fought and died in defence of this great country.

Community members are urged to stay at home this Saturday amid the pandemic, but still embrace this national day of remembrance in other ways to help keep the ANZAC Spirit alive.

Wagga RSL Club will play the Ode followed by The Last Post at 6am and 6pm on Saturday. This will be heard by those in surrounding streets.

Community members were also encouraged to “Light up the Dawn” and go to the end of their driveway or stand on their balcony at 6am and perform, or listen to, a brief commemorative service.

The ABC broadcast a 5.30am service from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. There will also be a 10am service from the ANZAC Memorial in Sydney broadcast on ABC and livestreamed.

Together – although we’re apart – we will remember them.

Other ways you can commemorate ANZAC Day 2020 include:

Support our veterans with a message of support. Acknowledge a veteran you know by doing a short video on your phone (landscape preferred) with a message about what ANZAC Day would normally be like. Go to yourlocalclub.com.au and upload your message.

Record yourself reciting the ode. Respond “Going” to the ANZAC Day 2020 Facebook event. Then use the hashtag #ANZACSpirit and share how you’ll be commemorating privately, as well as who you’ll be remembering this ANZAC Day.

Reach out to a mate who might be alone. Many people are alone during this time of isolation. It’s an opportunity to invoke the ANZAC value of mateship and check to see how a mate is doing.

Donate to the ANZAC Appeal online at anzacappeal.com.au. Donations support Australian veterans and their families in need. Donations in New South Wales support services provided by RSL DefenceCare and Veteran Sport Australia.