Monday is ANZAC day, to remember those Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who have fought and died for their countries.

It is marked annually on 25 April, the anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign of the First World War. Around Central Otago there are several ceremonies being held on Monday.

Many people will wear a red poppy on their lapels, or their families military medals and stand together with their whānau around the motu on Monday, as the notes of the last post echo at the break of the day.

If you haven't attended a dawn service for the past couple of years, it might be time to restart the practice - there are no government limits on gathering sizes anymore, and many services are held outdoors where there is significantly reduced risk of virus transmission.

Wrap up warmly as the temperatures in Central may only just hover above freezing as autumn starts to bite.

Alexandra: 

9.30am a wreath laying ceremony will be held at the Alexandra Cenotaph

Clyde: 

8.00am a wreath laying ceremony will held at the Clyde Cenotaph

Omakau: 

10am service at the Omakau Memorial Hall

Cromwell: 

9.00am service at the Cromwell Cemetery

10.00am service at the Cromwell Cenotaph

Teviot Valley:

7.30am Service at Millers Flat Cenotaph

9.00am Service at Roxburgh Cenotaph

Maniototo:

6.30am Dawn service at the Ranfurly Cenotaph

10.30am Wreath laying service at the Kyeburn Cenotaph, following by family service

Local retailers show their support for ANZAC day with window displays such as this one in Alexandra.

You can also support the Returned Services Association (RSA) with its annual street appeal - Poppy Day today.

2022 marks 100 years of the RSA's Poppy Appeal.

This year, the RSA's Poppy Campaign runs throughout the month of April, with the most visible collection being the Poppy Day street appeal on 22 April.

Donations received from the RSA's Poppy Campaign go directly towards funding support services for New Zealand's veterans.

This year's campaign hopes to raise awareness of our younger veterans.

In the last 30 years, New Zealand has created over 30,000 veterans under the age of 50. 

Serving in areas such as Africa, Bosnia, Timor Leste, Afghanistan and Iraq, these veterans come with different and often more complex support needs, and there is far less understanding in society of how their service might have affected them.

The poppies are all manufactured by volunteers in Christchurch and it is an almost yearlong job to make the close to one million poppies required to support the Poppy Appeal.

2020 was the only year that a street appeal hasn’t been held after the Covid lockdown forced the collection to be cancelled.

An online appeal was conducted in its place meaning the Poppy Appeal remains the longest continuously running appeal in New Zealand’s history.