AN RSL president has lauded volunteers and participants who helped the public commemorate Anzac Day in 2021.
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"I'm eternally grateful to them," Kangaroo Flat president Craig Chilver said after two services on Sunday morning.
Thousands gathered across Victoria throughout the day for services, including at Kangaroo Flat and Bendigo.
The crowds came at Kangaroo Flat, even if veteran attendance was down on previous years.
Mr Chilver said that could have been because of concerns about COVID-safe rules or health worries, which was perfectly understandable.
"A lot of those veterans who did come have said to me it was much better than standing in their driveways," he said, referring to last year's rules that confined people to makeshift dawn services on their own properties.
Mr Chilver shared many people's frustrations that so many spectators could gather at the football in Melbourne the night before as RSL's negotiated restrictions on events.
"But the point is that we can come out of the driveways and go into the park for a COVID-safe event," he said.
Mr Chilver was looking forward to services returning to normal next year - though he said the proviso was always going to be "if" everything returns to normal by then.
"Everyone said Western Australia was out of it all and look what has been happening there," he said.
Mr Chilver is daring to dream though and would be especially excited to see a return of the march through Kangaroo Flat streets.
A march did not go ahead this year because COVID-19 requirements would have left too few people to march, once relations and community groups were excluded.
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