A SYDNEY man who grew up on a farm near Geurie is the brainchild of a non-profit and community-focused campaign aimed at getting trumpet, cornet and bugle players from across Australia and possibly New Zealand out of bed at dawn on Anzac Day.
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Brett Stevenson, 54, of Pymble, wants as many people as possible to wake up to the sound of the Last Post being played nearby or on social media.
He wants musicians of all ages and abilities to give their best at whatever location they choose, be it a front door, apartment balcony, beach or paddock.
"Wouldn't it be beautiful if everyone could hear the Last Post being played at dawn," he told the Daily Liberal yesterday.
Mr Stevenson, a quadriplegic who owns the grain broking and advisory business Market Check, is motivated on several fronts to get Australians and New Zealanders involved in the Anzac centenary.
Mostly, he wants the men and women who bravely served their countries to be honoured.
They include his grandfather's brother who fought in both world wars, and an uncle who trained pilots at Dubbo during World War II.
Mr Stevenson does not consider himself connected to the heroes of yesteryear anymore so than most other Australians.
"We just need to remember them all and what they did," he said.
The businessman also understands that getting to a dawn service is not always easy for people, including families.
"Participating this year can be just hearing the Last Post played," Mr Stevenson said.
"This is a special year to have as much participation in Anzac Day as we can possibly get."
The bugle call that rallies a nation on April 25 each year also helped get the campaign off the ground,
"There's something about it... on Anzac Day when I hear the Last Post it hits me somewhere," Mr Stevenson said.
The campaign's Facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/ diggers100.
Its Twitter account is twitter.com/ diggerslastpost.
People who post dawn performances on Anzac Day are being asked to use #diggerslastpost.