ANZAC DAY COMMUNITY MARCH AND SERVICE AT UPPER COOMERA
Our Rotary Club has staged for more than twenty years on Anzac Day a March and Service program at
Upper Coomera, Queensland. The difference is that our Anzac Day program is a community inspired event
with the focus on involving and inculcating the Anzac tradition of respect and service to the younger members
of the local school, church and other community groups.
The event consists of a march lead by current and past service personnel but with over 27 school, community,
church and scout/guide groups wearing their individual uniforms and carrying their own banners.
The march proceeds to the Cenotaph at Upper Coomera for a formal remembrance service. Last year more
than 3,500 people attended and participated in the Service. Ours is the major Anzac Day event in the North Gold Coast region.
Our club’s staging this event generates increased awareness and understanding of Rotary by the following
means:
- by organizing and promoting a traditional event (Anzac Day) that is valued and respected by the community.
- by implementing a public relations or promotional program that features the Rotary Wheel, Rotary values and
our club’s contact details in advertising and all communications relating to the event.
- generally public relations is all about effectively communicating to target publics the intended message. In this
case the target public include:
- Our local Rotary Clubs
- Federal, state and council politicians and agencies
- Local businesses in terms of seeking their support and sponsorship
- 19 local private and government school communities
- 7 local church and other community groups
- The local community generally.
The public relations instruments implemented that improve Rotary’s visibility to these publics include:
- Our club uniform worn by our member volunteers on the day
- Advertising in the local newspaper and radio
- In the Order of Service Brochure printed and distributed at the Service
- In all email and correspondence sent out informing groups and individuals
- Banners displaying the Rotary Wheel and our club’s details
- By our members and other volunteers being in charge of the operation and running of the event.
ANZAC DAY 2021
We were delighted once again to be able to stage our (usually annual) Anzac Day March and Service at the Cenotaph in Upper Coomera. The turn out from the community was fantastic and it was particularly awesome that so many of our younger members of the community were in attendance either with their family or their school or community groups to pay their respects.
The event consisted of a march led by current and past service personnel and with over 20 school, community, church and scout/guide groups wearing their individual uniforms and carrying their own banners. The march participants were accompanied by the Surfers Paradise Brass Band and drumline groups - Gold Coast Drumline and Saint Stephen's College Drumline, as well as the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (QMI). The march concluded at the Cenotaph where a formal remembrance service followed, closing with the Last Post and a minutes silence, both of which were impeccably observed.
This year's service was attended by over 2,000 community members. Next year, we are hoping to reinstate the community BBQ after the event, as well as the ANZAC display prior to the march in the School of Arts in Gawler Place.
This Anzac Day event would not have been possible without the support of our local members - Mark Boothman MP, Cnclr Donna Gates and Cnclr William Owen-Jones and the help of the Coomera Valley Rural Fire Brigade and Queensland Police Service.
