Volunteer Recognition Ceremony 2025
On Friday 23 May 2025, Operation Unity SA held its first-ever Volunteer Award Ceremony at the Wellness Centre, Repatriation Medical Precinct at Daw Park, South Australia. This special event marked National Volunteer Week and celebrated the dedicated efforts of our volunteers who serve veterans, current and former ADF members, first responders, and their families.
Established in June 2017, Operation Unity SA was proud to honour its members for their ongoing commitment. Certificates of Appreciation were presented by Janice Silby, Assistant Commissioner (South Australia), Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Service lapel pins for one and five years were awarded by Commander Tony Ryder, Commanding Officer of HMAS Encounter. Both guests are passionate supporters of the veteran community, and their time and presence were deeply appreciated.
Representatives from various State and National Ex-Service Organisations (ESOs) attended to witness the occasion. We were also honoured to welcome several Members of Parliament: Alex Dighton MP (on behalf of the Hon. Joe Szakacs MP), Matt Burnell MP, Tony Zappia MP, Louise Miller-Frost MP, and Adrian Pederick MP.
In addition to recognising our volunteers, we made another donation to OPK9, valued at $5,400. This donation supports their vital work pairing service dogs with veterans and first responders. In attendance were Jodie Martin-Rankine, Sally Raphael, and Wendy Lucas. Jodie also presented Operation Unity SA with a Certificate of Appreciation—a touching gesture that means a lot to our team.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our catering supporters: Totally Workwear Gilles Plains, along with Colleen Harvey, Wendy Lucas, Karrinne Work, Sandy Ising, and Cherryl Rudd, who ensured everyone was well looked after on the day.
> We rely entirely on community support to continue our mission—and every dollar makes a difference. Donations made to external groups like OPK9 are always clearly identified, so our supporters know exactly where their contributions go.
If you'd like to support the vital work of Operation Unity (SA) as FOVA, visit our page at https://www.operationunityasfova.org/ to make a tax-deductible donation