THANKS A MILLION TO HEROES
STILL reeling from Black Summer, Australians were plunged into the global pandemic before catching a breath. So how do we rebuild after a year like 2020? We can start by saying thank you, one million times over.
Saturday’s launch of Thanks a Million: Pride of Australia invites all Australians to publicly express our gratitude. A partnership between Woolworths and News Corp Australia, Thanks a Million will gather one million names between now and Australia Day – declared a national day of thanks by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“We are proud to announce this significant partnership with Woolworths to support our Pride of Australia campaign,” said Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia.
“This year, the check-out staff, shelf stackers, newsagents and delivery drivers went from everyday workers to everyday heroes. It seems only appropriate that our two companies join together to say one big thank you.
“Not just to our teams but to all the teams of frontline workers around Australia who kept us fed, informed and looked after.”
Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said mental rather than physical fatigue was the issue for many. He was personally moved to receive thoughtful messages on R U OK Day, just one example of what he calls “Team Australia”.
“That extended team (includes) our competitors – Coles, Aldi, Metcash. It (includes) the states and the federal governments (and) different charity partners, whether it’s OzHarvest, FareShare, Foodbank or Meals on Wheels,” he said. “If we can take these wonderful learnings out of what has happened to us and replicate it in some modest way going forward, that’s unbelievably powerful.”
News Corp Australia community ambassador Penny Fowler said Pride of Australia had shone a light on Australians making a difference for the past 16 years.