A CENOTAPH service, Anzac Day march and service at the town hall are in the planning process, in a return to traditional commemorations in Casterton on 25 April.

Casterton RSL Sub-Branch Secretary, Damien Henty-Anderson said the 2022 Anzac Appeal was well underway in the district, with local businesses, schools and individuals all putting up their hands to support the cause in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

“Casterton Secondary College, Casterton Primary School and Sacred Heart Primary all received and returned their point-of-sale boxes selling Anzac badges and tokens, with a great start to the appeal,” Mr Henty-Anderson said.

“Their ongoing support of the appeal is amazing and we thank them greatly.

“The sub-branch has received the entries for the schools’ writing competition for the primary schools and we will be looking at picking winners shortly.

“We hope to display these wonderful pieces of work in the town hall on Anzac Day, so the community can directly see how the schools participate in their learning of our military history.”

He said the support for the appeal received from the wider community, to date, was “amazing”.

“Local businesses, Lionel and Bronwyn Balzan at Casterton Central, Pat and Denise Gill at Casterton Farm Supplies, Gordon and Karin Cleaver at the Digby Hotel and Raelene Grogan at the Merino General Store have all accepted boxes to help sell Anzac Badges,” Mr Henty-Anderson said.

“We have our collection tins at the Albion Hotel and the Glenelg Inn; we thank them for collecting donations throughout each year for us, so if you're at the pub, please drop your loose change in.

“We also had Juliette and Ros Harris, who took it upon themselves to sell badges at the recent auction held in the main street of Merino on Saturday.

“It’s amazing to see the generosity of people to go out of their way and help fundraise for the Anzac Appeal and we really do appreciate it.

“We hope that people can also support these local businesses, at the same time.”

Casterton RSL volunteers will be sitting out the front of Foodworks from the 19 to 23 April, selling Anzac badges and the committee thanked its members who gave up their time to help with the Anzac Appeal.

“Without them, many veterans and their families miss out on much-needed assistance,” Mr Henty-Anderson said.

The program for Anzac Day this year is as back to ‘normal’ as possible, starting with the 10am wreath laying ceremony and the Cenotaph at the top of Henty Strett.

“We will then March from the RSL Clubrooms to the Casterton Town Hall,” Mr Henty-Anderson said.

“Following this, our main service will be held in the town hall with a light lunch supplied afterwards.

“We have a great guest speaker this year, as we do each year and hope as many of the community as possible can attend this important event.

"We are finding through the use of our Facebook page and the support of the Casterton News, that awareness of our small but busy Sub-Branch is gaining more awareness and subsequently, we have been approached by veterans for support in various ways.

“This is what we are here for - to help.

“Everyone who likes our Facebook page, likes and shares our posts, automatically helps create awareness that we are here to help and I encourage everyone to keep up this good work.”