A REFLECTION service is set for the statue of the Grieving Mother this Sunday.<\/p>\n
The service is run by Ballarat Legacy and Legatee Ron Fleming said there are very few events that commemorate the \u201chidden collateral damages\u201d sustained by families during wartime.<\/p>\n
The Grieving Mother represents that ongoing damage.<\/p>\n
\u201cSymbolically, she is looking to the distant battlefield across the sea where our people have to travel,\u201d Mr Fleming said.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s service will feature verses of historical poetry and a keynote address from Legacy Honorary Secretary Peta Gillespie.<\/p>\n
Legacy, established in 1927, is a charity caring for war veterans, families, and communities around Australia.<\/p>\n
President of the Arch of Victory \u2013 Avenue of Honour Committee, Garry Snowden, said events like this are important to balance the remembrance of war impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe commemorate service on the other side of the world but we must remember the impact back home\u2026 so often it ended in grief,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Grieving Mother statue is a symbol of families.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event, and others organised by Legacy Ballarat, are leading up to the Annual Legacy Week Appeal, from September 1 to 7.<\/p>\n
Legacy Week is an awareness-raising and fundraising period, known for the tokens of appreciation sold on Badge Day.<\/p>\n