This year, Legacy commemorates 100 years of service to the families of Australian Defence Force members who have given their life or health in service to Australia.
As part of the commemoration, the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay will visit Canberra on its six-month journey from the former battlefields of the Western Front to Australia.
It is, Legacy states, “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Legacy movement and for all clubs across Australia”.
The Torch Relay, presented by Defence Health, began with satellite relay events, travelling from the battlefields in Pozières, France, on 23 April, leading up to Anzac Day, 25 April. The torch then travelled to the Menin Gate, in Ypres (Ieper), Belgium, and thence to London, before returning home to Australia, landing in Albany, Western Australia, in May.
The torch continues its journey throughout local towns and cities across Australia, visiting all 44 Legacy Club locations, concluding in Melbourne in October.
The torch will travel 50,000 km, through 100 stops, carried by 1,500 torch bearers and supported by 2,000 volunteers, to raise more than $10 million.
The Centenary Torch will arrive in Canberra for the National Legacy Week launch on Monday 28 August. Starting at the Australian War Memorial at 10.30am, it will travel 18 km through the streets of the city.
The 54 torch bearers include Legacy beneficiaries, legatees, and Defence personnel. Among them are 103-year-old Merle Hare, who served in the Navy in WWII and lost her twin brother in that war, and Kate Munari, Australia’s only female Navy helicopter pilot to fly in Afghanistan.
Legacy has its roots in a battlefield promise, from the trenches in Pozières, on the Western Front in World War I. A soldier told his dying mate: “I’ll look after the missus and the kids.” That promise has been revered since the first Legacy Club was established in Melbourne in 1923.
The symbol of Legacy is a torch that signifies the undying flame of service and sacrifice of those who gave their lives for their country. To this day, Legacy looks after more than 40,000 widows and their families across Australia.
Legacy Australia is calling for volunteers to assist on the day.
To register to be a volunteer, or show your support by making a donation, visit legacytorchrelay.com.au or download the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay mobile app.
