WITH the Anzac Day dawn service and national ceremony booked out, Canberrans are again being encouraged to take part in community-led commemorations such as “Light Up the Dawn”.

First inaugurated for last year’s heavily restricted event (due to covid), the initiative encourages commemorators to stand at the end of their driveway at dawn with a candle and radio or mobile app synchronised to the playing of “The Last Post”.

This year’s commemorations will see a combination of tradition and innovation so that the whole community can participate, according to the Assistant Minister for Veterans, Emma Davidson.

“Many grassroots and community-led commemorations are taking place across the ACT in addition to the Australian War Memorial dawn service,” Ms Davidson says.

“Whether people are commemorating at home, on their driveway, listening to the bugling of a neighbour or at the national service, each of us will be recognising Anzac Day as a community.”

Royal Australian Navy veteran Grant Newham says: “Light Up the Dawn feels like a really inclusive and meaningful way to appreciate our past and present servicemen and women which is why we’ve decided to participate again this year.”