ARARAT - Ararat 800 Primary School's floral tribute is always a highlight of the Ararat Anzac Day commemorations and volunteers have recently planted out hundreds of marigold seedlings in preparation for the event.
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Jenny Jacobi from Ararat 800 said parent volunteers planted out more than 25 trays of seedlings this year, which were provided by the Hopkins Correctional Centre.
"Hopkins Correctional Centre has been a fantastic support to us, they have been growing marigolds for a few years now," she said.
As well as striking the seedlings and providing seedlings to the school the prison also grows the marigolds and this year will take on the growing of dahlias, which also form part of the floral tribute.
"They will be growing them out there as well this year. We got the tubers from a Portland dahlia farm," Ms Jacobi said.
The marigolds at the school will now be nurtured by volunteers and children who water and tend the plants over the coming months both during school hours and on weekends.
Ms Jacobi said many former teachers and parents continue to help out, including former teachers Patricia Dalkin and Jim Dunn and former principal Bill Jones.
"We even have parents help who don't have children at the school any more but do it as a matter of pride," she said.
Now in its 57th year, the floral tribute forms an important part of the Anzac Day commemorations at the Ararat War Memorial.
The words Lest We Forget and the Rising Sun symbol are formed using the marigolds, dahlias and other blooms and are admired by locals and visitors to the city.
