THIS week is Legacy Week and Ararat College students are getting behind the cause.
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Year seven students who competed in this year's Legacy Junior Public Speaking competition, Annalise Stroet, Lauren Bowles, Toneya Hurst and Emily Sherwell will be selling badges, pens, wristbands and bears in Ararat College's quadrangle today to mark Legacy Badge Day.
Badge sellers will also be at Ararat IGA and Ararat Woolworths today and tomorrow and the Ararat community is being asked to show support.
As one of Australia's most iconic charities, Legacy grew out of the ashes of the Great War and 90 years on still supports around 90,000 families of defence personnel who have given their lives or their health for their country.
Australia lost around 60,000 service personnel in WWI and in all conflicts has lost around 100,000. Beyond that, there have been many more badly injured, both mentally and physically.
Legacy Australia chairman David Gray said the dedicated men and women who serve their country deserve the recognition of their sacrifice and the support of all Australians. A promise to look after the 'missus and the kids' made by diggers in WWI to their mates who had fallen in battle continues at the heart of what Legacy does today.
"It's 100 years since the start of WWI and Legacy continues to offer support to over 90,000 widows - some of them the widows of those who fought in that very war - as well as around 1900 children," Mr Gray said.
"Legacy's role continues to evolve to accommodate the changing needs of the families we support, including those affected by Post Traumatic Stress, which it does while keeping the Legacy ethos that has served us proudly since 1923."
Legacy still cares for around 90,000 widows and dependents, ranging in age from 14-months to 109 years and the task is not going away in the foreseeable future.
No matter what age, Legacy families all have in common the heartache of losing a loved one, either physically or mentally, which can last a lifetime.