INVICTUS Games athletes will take a slice of Australia home with them, thanks to the RSL Auxiliaries.
Members from around the country have worked hard to create hand-crafted mementos for the athletes and their families.
Gifts include more than 550 individually designed and crafted laundry bags for the competitors, a quilt for each of the 18 competing nations and VIP guests and more than 1250 crocheted black and yellow poppies for family members to wear as a symbol of their support for the athletes.
Quilts have also been prepared for several high-profile guests, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The quilts and laundry bags are Australian-themed including Indigenous material sourced from the Northern Territory for the laundry bags along with scenes on the quilts representing our iconic Australian sites such as the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The project has been coordinated by NSW Auxiliaries President Pauline James project since 2016.
“RSL Auxiliaries were founded on fellowship and a desire to care for our communities. We are a voluntary organisation, dedicated to supporting the welfare of veterans of all wars and conflicts. The gifts are our way of rallying our troops and showing support for the Invictus Athletes and their friends and family,” said Mrs James.
“As soon as it was announced the Invictus Games were coming to Sydney in November 2016 we jumped straight into action and started preparing the gifts.
“It is not just the NSW Auxiliaries which have thrown their support behind the project, Auxiliary groups from all round Australia have been busy preparing gifts to show their support for the veterans and their family and friends from all around the world. The support has been overwhelming!”
The Invictus Games take place in Sydney from October 20-27.
