Veterans and Saints ready for ANZAC Day
21 April 2015 –
Two of St Kilda’s youngest stars – Dylan Robertson and Jack Lonie – took time out from their training schedule last Thursday to visit veterans and war widows at RSL Park, our residential care facility in Frankston South. Both Dylan and Jack are Frankston locals and St Kilda’s headquarters are in Seaford, so as a prelude to ANZAC Day, a Saints visit to our RSL Park was a natural choice.
After mingling with RSL Park residents who were getting into the spirit of the event and enjoying a BBQ lunch, the two young Saints sat down to interview two of the RSL Park veterans who are flying to Canberra to attend the ANZAC Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial. The interviews will be screened before the ANZAC Day match between St Kilda and Carlton in Wellington, New Zealand.
Vets share ANZAC spirit with Saints
St Kilda will hoping for a better result against than last Friday night’s against Collingwood when Dylan kicked the first of the Saint’s three opening gaols, before the Pies regained their composure, hit their stride and ran out easy winners.
In total, six veterans plus their six assigned carers and our CEO, Janna Voloshin are flying to Canberra to commemorate the Centenary of ANZAC. The other four veterans making the ANZAC pilgrimage are Ron Benton, Bob Brazier, Robert Homes and Graham Outhred.
The project to take a representative group of veterans from RSL Park to Canberra was conceived during a staff de-brief after ANZAC Day 2014. It has been a major project to organise and required an equally significant allocation of resources.
“Arranging a trip to Canberra for six of our veterans to attend the Dawn the Service wasn’t going to be easy but it is a practical demonstration of our duty of care, our history and legacy,” says Jan.
The major support has come from local RSL Sub-Branches and Vietnam Veterans Associations on the Mornington Peninsula coordinated by John Biles, a Vietnam Vet of 4RAR who is Vice-President and Welfare Officer of Seaford RSL. In total four Sub-Branches contributed almost $10,000 towards the pilgrimage of the RSL Park veterans.
There have also been significant sponsorships by Vasey RSL Care’s investment adviser, UBS Wealth Management, the Defence Bank and service contractor, Midnight Express, with another welcome contribution from TENA/Asaleo Care.
The project also received practical, in-kind support from Akubra Hats and from Piccadilly Circus Coats. Thanks to both companies, the veterans will be rugged up against Canberra’s notorious pre-dawn chills.