2024 ANZAC Day Poppy Knitters Garner Strong Community Support
RSL Partners with Rotary Satellite Club of Ballina Lifestyle for new Ballina tradition
In a heartwarming update on the 2024 ANZAC Day Poppy and Flag project, Helen Hargreaves and Laurie Jackson of the Rotary Satellite Lifestyle Club have enthusiastically driven this unique community initiative through the holiday season. Originally conceived to honour veterans and enhance the beauty of Ballina’s main street, the project has evolved into a unifying force, bringing community members together through shared craftsmanship.
The poppy is a symbol of remembrance of those who died or suffered in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping. Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae first described the red poppy, the Flanders’ poppy, as the flower of remembrance.
McCrae wrote a poem that has come to be known as ‘In Flanders Fields’. The poem described the poppies that marked the graves of soldiers killed fighting for their country. The red poppy has special significance for Australians as they were among the first to flower in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium in the First World War. After the war, the red poppy was adopted as that emblem and has been accepted as the emblem of remembrance.
The project’s ambitious goal is to create 5000 handmade poppies, destined to adorn wreaths for the main street of Ballina to help commemorate ANZAC Day. Funded by a grant from Ballina RSL, the project ensures all proceeds are donated to Legacy Far North Coast, offering poppies for a $5 donation at Ballina RSL.
Legacy provides supports families of those who served and sacrificed, providing the essential social and financial support to the partners and children of fallen or injured veterans. Legacy supports 10 families in Ballina alone.
Purchased poppies are pinned onto meter tall display in the foyer of Ballina RSL, for the enjoyment of the public, visiting service personnel, and veterans.
ANZAC Day is comemmorated every year at the RSL Memorial Park, adjacent to the Ballina RSL Club
The poppies initiative aims to involve the community in the commemoration of this special day for our veterans
For months, volunteers from diverse clubs and organizations, including the Country Women’s Association (CWA), have united to handcraft these poppies. Helen shared her most memorable moment: when a CWA member arrived with two full bags of beautiful red poppies. Helen recalled, “I was so pleasantly surprised to see so many poppies and knowing the hours of care that the CWA has put into crafting them for this cause makes me so hopeful about the project.” While the exact progress towards the 5000 goal is still uncertain, Helen reports significant contributions of more than 2000, with some individuals from the CWA crafting up to 500 poppies, and one member able to create three at a time. Helen is confident they will meet their targets.
This initiative’s success showcases the power of community collaboration, uniting members of the Rotary Satellite Lifestyle Club, the CWA, and a private community group in Wardell. The project has also gained the support of the Ballina Shire Council, who will hang poppy-adorned flags and wreaths in the centre of town, on the flagpoles surrounding the traffic light pedestrian crossing. Their collective efforts demonstrate the remarkable achievements possible when our community unites for a common purpose.
The Rotary Satellite Lifestyle Club of Ballina envisions this project as a growing tradition, one that will continue to unite the community year after year. Year on year, the poppy project aspires to grow, involving more participants and drawing more community members to support the ANZAC Day dawn service and march.
When asked about the potential for expanding this original concept, Laurie suggested that he would love to see the project garner the support of business owners along River Street, suggesting that, “In future we’d love to see those who were able to, dress their shop windows as a show of respect and remembrance.”
Additionally, Ballina RSL will be to hosting a colouring-in competition throughout April, showcasing the coloured-in poppies within the club in the weeks leading up to ANZAC Day.
The future looks promising for this ANZAC Day initiative, with plans to involve more community groups, engage the younger generation, and commemorate the sacrifices made by the ANZACs in a meaningful and touching way. The Rotary Satellite Lifestyle Club of Ballina has not only created poppies but also a sense of unity, community spirit, and remembrance that will continue to thrive in the years to come.
The President of the Sub-branch, Tony Tartaro, extends an invitation to the community to join the 5.30am Dawn Service, held at the RSL Memorial Park, as well as the 10.30am march and 11am service, which includes schools, service personnel, ex-service personnel, and veterans, organized by the Ballina RSL Sub-branch. Ballina RSL will be open for breakfast after the service, and members of the community will have a chance to collect their poppy from the display or donate it to next year’s efforts. Anticipation builds as we look forward to witnessing the beginning of a beautiful Ballina ANZAC Day tradition.
Purchase Commemorative ANZAC Day Poppies.
From 1 April
Purchase your ANZAC commemorative pin at Reception for $5.
Or purchase online and we will display it for you
All proceeds will go to supporting Open Arms Veterans Counselling Services.
Place Your Tribute.
From 1 April
Take a moment and make a personal tribute with a poppy on our Anzac commemorative structure.
