Poppy pin pushing in Wairoa as RSA prepares for Anzac Day commemorations

Wairoa RSA president Jeremy Harker is part of the committed team helping get poppies ready for Anzac remembrance.

The painstaking task of pushing pins through poppies is an age-old tradition that’s undertaken by many RSAs and community groups across the motu in the lead-up to Anzac Day.

At the Wairoa RSA, a “strong little volunteer crew” is out in force doing the mahi for the upcoming commemorations, despite the fact that many in the surrounding area won’t be able to get to services in the partially isolated community.

RSA President Jeremy Harker and his son Jed Couper Harker were some of nimble-fingered team who helped prepare the poppies so they could be worn by those throughout the district as a show of respect and remembrance.

“For us, [poppies are] a visual show of support and whakawhanaungatanga towards those people who served or those who have relatives who have served. That’s across military as well as in the community.

“It also allows us to raise funds for our support fund which helps our RSA veterans who may have fallen on hard times.”

In effect, the pinning, selling and wearing of Anzac poppies in the week before Remembrance Day marks the start of Anzac Day commemorations in Aotearoa.

“We’ve got a really cool crew of people getting involved. Some retirees who are really engaged and good at getting things done, and we’ve also got an up-and-coming younger crew who will be next to carry the banner,” Harker said.

A key theme was supporting the future of the RSA and Harker said a major goal is to promote membership so there is a continued presence in Wairoa.

He said people didn’t need to be part of the returned services to join and that they are always on the hunt for like-minded individuals.

“We’re growing, which is cool.”

Preparations are well underway for Anzac services in Wairoa and Harker expects them to be very special occasions.

“We won’t have as many people as usual because of the roadblocks around Hawke’s Bay, but when the road was open, we had a lot of people coming from Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne as well as locals,” he said.

A very special event it will be for sure, but for now, it’s back to the poppies for the pair.

“He has faster fingers than me!” Harker senior said.