In 2011, Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry Bags was started to support our Australian Defence Force (ADF) Members serving their country far from home. What a journey it has been…… can you believe that 2021 marks the 10thAnniversary of Aussie Hero Quilts, an amazing milestone that could not have been achieved without the hard work of all of our quilters and laundry bag makers. As many of you know, the annual dinner is our way of saying thank you to the hard working volunteers that support Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry Bags, and raising funds to support our charitable efforts.

Sadly, due to the uncertainty generated by the impact of COVID-19 on travel, it is with a heavy heart that we announce that this year’s annual dinner, the 10thAnniversary Celebration Dinner, will be delayed until early 2022. Although we are disappointed to delay the dinner, we are keen to ensure certainty for both our volunteers and attendees. At this stage we are hoping to hold the dinner in March 2022 but dates will be firmed up towards the second half of this year. This event will be coupled with our usual volunteers’ weekend, where volunteers will get the opportunity to see the sights of Canberra and get to know each other. We know that people like as much notice as possible to save for the trip and book flights. We will advise as soon as we can the confirmed dates of the volunteers’ weekend and dinner in 2022.

For those volunteers that are new to our team, the volunteers’ weekend is a great opportunity to get to know each other and meet some of the many grateful recipients of quilts and laundry bags. The weekend involves a Volunteers’ Gathering (held the night before the annual dinner on the Friday night) where volunteers get to hear from some of our recipients and other interesting speakers. Saturday generally entails a newbies brunch with our founder, Jan-Maree Ball, before an opportunity to undertake a tour of key sights in Canberra and some quilting shops, before attending the annual ‘Thank you Dinner’ that night. It is always a wonderful weekend that is rounded out with a casual breakfast/brunch at Poppy’s Café at the Australian War Memorial.

There will be more information to follow in the coming months. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me on jenniferanneparker@outlook.com.

Cheers,

Jennifer