One of the most heartbreaking event cancellations of the COVID-19 crisis has been the forced cancellation of Anzac Day services, marches and events. In the absence of these important events, Aussie startup Cardly has stepped in to give Australians a way to directly honour and thank our veterans and their families by allowing them to send a card to them.
Cardly is working closely with veterans organisations such as Legacy, War Widows Guild, RSL Lifecare and others to help get thank you cards to veterans and their families, to honour our heroes despite the lack of Anzac Day marches and events this year. All profits from card sales for isolated veterans will go to Legacy, a charity providing services to Australian families suffering after the injury or death of a spouse or parent, during or after their defence force service. The fundraising initiative will help Legacy in lieu of physical fundraising that normally takes place at this time of year.
Cardly has built technology that lets people select and write in a greeting card on their PC or Mobile, which they then print and post. Each card is designed by an independent artist and the message looks handwritten, allowing beautiful cards to be delivered in a completely safe way under current COVID-19 regulations. Cardly’s talented artists have generously donated their time to create bespoke designs for the Anzac Day cards. Using planet friendly stock and planting 5 trees for every 100 cards sent, Cardly offers an eco-friendly card delivery service.
Templates have been set up to guide messaging and any member of the public can jump online and create a card for just $4. Messages include famous Anzac quotes as well as messages of gratitude such as: “Thank you for your sacrifice, for what you gave up to provide a brighter future for generations to come”, or simply “Lest we forget”. For those who know a veteran or war widow in the community and wish to write a personal note, they can also go through Cardly’s main website and money from any Anzac Day design will still go towards this cause.
Cardly CEO/Founder Patrick Gaskin said: “With just a few weeks to go, we hope that the Australian community will act quickly to ensure that we can bring as many smiles as possible to the faces of those who sacrificed so much to build the nation we enjoy today. We also hope that it will serve as a reminder that a few months of reduced freedom to keep Australian’s safe, is nothing really compared to what our military community has given up to keep us safe.”
John Hutcheson, CEO of Legacy Club Services commented: “This year many of the widows that Legacy supports in nursing homes will not be able to attend ceremonial events to commemorate Anzac Day in person due to the increased regulation around safety and restricted access to other family members. I am extremely grateful to Cardly for partnering with Legacy to raise awareness of the widows and families that Legacy supports and raise much needed funds. I know that this work and your purchase of a card will bring a smile to the face of our isolated beneficiaries.”
Visit www.cardly.net/anzac-day.
