Message from the State President: 2026 ANZAC Day and Appeal – thank you
As we all wind down from weeks of planning, and countless hours of demanding work, I want to thank everyone in the Sub-Branch network for their incredible ANZAC Day efforts.
I am so proud that a non-profit organisation like us can continue to address the day-to-day tasks of providing veteran welfare, yet also:
- Stage more than 140 community commemorations services that draw in a substantial proportion of the Victorian community to stop, reflect, and pay tribute to the veteran community past and present
- Hold the major state ANZAC Dawn Service and ANZAC March at the Shrine of Remembrance
- Operate the ANZAC Appeal at a Victorian and national level
- Assemble a network of volunteers from across Sub-Branches in every part of the state to get out into the community and raise funds for support services.
It is a massive undertaking and every single person who has volunteered their time at Sub-Branch level should be congratulated.
The early results of that work are very encouraging:
- Healthy crowds throughout Victoria at commemoration events
- A crowd of 55,000 people at the Shrine of Remembrance (an increase on last year)
- Early ANZAC Appeal figures suggest an uplift on last year’s result, indicating strong community engagement throughout the state.
Our partners have also played a big part in this success.
More than 1,100 Woolworths stores around Australia stocked ANZAC Appeal badges and will build on the $14 million they have raised for veterans over the last eleven years. They are our biggest corporate supporter.
Our AFL partnership was more integrated than ever before, and early figures suggest more funds have been raised during this year’s ANZAC Appeal than ever before. Along with the AFL and the clubs, I want to pay tribute to the volunteers from the Sub-Branches, the ADF and the RSL Victoria State Branch who assisted in bringing the fundraising to life at more games than ever before (badges could be bought at seven games across Australia over the weekend).
I would also like to pay tribute to our ANZAC Day March Ambassadors and our MCG motorcade participants. They were great representatives of the veteran community on the day, but through sharing their stories with our website and the media they put a human story to service that impacted all who saw them.
Once again, thank you and everyone involved in the appeal at your Sub-Branch. We look forward to working together again as we continue our efforts in 2027 and beyond to support veterans and their families across Victoria.
Dr Mark Schröffel
State President, RSL Victoria
