KANGAROO Flat's RSL has vowed not to let its newly completed memorial lay empty on Anzac Day.
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Returned service members had hoped to unveil the $180,000 honour for all Kangaroo Flat veterans on Saturday.
Then the coronavirus pandemic arrived.
The RSL will hold a drastically scaled down service, sub-branch president Craig Chilver said.
"I'll be here at 10am to put the flags at half-mast and to lay a wreath," he said.
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Vietnam War veterans and representatives for Australia's armed forces will arrive separately every 10 minutes.
"We can't do much else. I even rang the police and asked about coming down and laying a wreath," Mr Chilver said.
"They said there wouldn't be a policeman in Bendigo that would book you. I'm just hoping that's the case, though I'd wear a $1600 fine because it is part of our psyche to mark this date."
The RSL has been raising money through tins at the counters of Kangaroo flat businesses but has had to cancel stalls to protect the health of older RSL members.
"We've got over $2000 now and we haven't sold a badge ourselves. It's all from the tins," Mr Chilver said.
Even so, that will not be enough to cover the needs of at risk veterans and their families, many of whom rely on the Anzac Appeal to raise money for help like home maintenance.
The Kangaroo Flat RSL had planned to run a stall out of its Station Street hall but the idea was abandoned as stage three pandemic restrictions came in.
"If people want to donate they can go online, or they can contact me and I can get a badge to them outside the hall," Mr Chilver said.
"But I can't have any face-to-face selling."
The upgraded memorial on High Street has the names of all known World War One veterans who hailed from Kangaroo Flat.
Not all were listed on previous memorials.
"There are many reasons why some families did not take out a subscription, maybe they couldn't afford it at the time, or they moved away before the memorial was constructed," Mr Chilver said.
The new memorial was made possible through a partnership between the RSL, the City of Greater Bendigo and the state government.
To donate to the Anzac Appeal online visit https://anzacappeal.com.au/
To purchase a badge from the Kangaroo Flat RSL call 5447 8312.
