While most of Pullenvale is asleep, Jeff Roots will already be on the move. The Pullenvale State School groundsman is preparing to walk 20 kilometres through the night on Friday, 24 April, joining hundreds of others in Trek2Health’s Midnight to Dawn ANZAC Service Trek.
It is a long, steady walk that begins in Brisbane’s city centre and ends at first light, but for Mr Roots, it starts much closer to home, with a community now backing his effort.
Around Pullenvale, he is known as the person who keeps the school grounds in shape. Now, he is stepping into something different, raising funds to support veterans and first responders through a cause that has drawn quiet support from locals sharing his fundraiser and encouraging others to get behind it.
Through the Dark, Toward Dawn
The walk begins late on Friday, 24 April 2026, at ANZAC Square in Brisbane. From there, participants follow a 20-kilometre route through the city, along river paths and toward Mt Coot-tha, before finishing at Walton Bridge Reserve in The Gap in time for the ANZAC Day dawn service.
It is a route designed to be completed in the darkest hours of the night, when the city is mostly still. Step by step, the trek moves toward sunrise, and the timing aligns closely with the meaning of ANZAC Day itself.
Mr Roots will not be walking alone. He is taking part alongside a Vietnam veteran mate, linking the effort directly to those whose service is being recognised. For those following his journey, that connection gives the walk added weight, turning it from a physical challenge into something more personal.
A Cause That Reaches Further
The trek is organised by Trek2Health, a Queensland-based organisation that supports veterans and first responders through programs focused on physical and mental wellbeing. The group works with people from defence and emergency services, using structured outdoor activity and peer support to help build resilience and maintain connection.
Funds raised through the ANZAC trek go towards expanding access to those programs. Each participant takes part as part of a wider fundraising effort, with individual pages tracking donations and progress as the event approaches.
Backed by the Community
The push behind the fundraiser has largely come from others. With Mr Roots not active on social media, friends and community members have shared his story on his behalf, helping the message travel further than it might have otherwise.
When the walk reaches The Gap at dawn, the kilometres will be behind him. What remains is the reason for the walk, and the support that helped make it possible.
Published 22-April-2026
