We will remember them.

These four powerful words at the end of the solemn Ode of Remembrance encapsulate the commitment all Australians make to remember their fallen soldiers for, this Saturday, 100 years.

And as the nation prepares to mark the centenary of the Gallipoli landings where more than 8,000 Australian soldiers died, the Port Adelaide Football Club has become the ambassador of a unique initiative designed to ensure the fallen are never forgotten.

That initiative is the establishment of an Avenue of Honour – a living memorial of trees in the Port district – with the financial support of the Adelaide community.

The Port Adelaide Football Club has worked with Treenet – the nation’s urban tree research and education not-for-profit - and the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, to implement the project in the lead up to Remembrance Day in November this year.

Port Adelaide supporters have the opportunity to remember their community’s soldiers in a living memorial by supporting the first Port Adelaide Avenue of Honour with a tax-deductible donation of $200.

Each donor will sponsor one of the first 100 trees to be planted in memory of a local solider killed in World War I – with donations covering the cost of the sourcing, planting and maintenance of the tree, and the installation of a plaque profiling the soldier it represents and its sponsor.

SPONSOR A TREE IN PORT ADELAIDE’S AVENUE OF HONOUR

Trees have been planted across Australia as living war memorials since World War I; the world’s first tree memorial was planted near the Adelaide Oval’s eastern side back in August 1914.

Port Adelaide has never been far from war, having served as the departure point for thousands of South Australian soldiers during the Great War.

Dozens of Port Adelaide’s footballers also enlisted, with three members of its undefeated 1914 Champions of Australia team killed on the Western Front, while three others were decorated for acts of bravery.

Port Adelaide’s chief executive officer Keith Thomas says the club’s ambassadorship of the program was a logical move, given its long association with the ANZAC tradition and strong links with the state branch of the RSL.

“Port Adelaide, like many clubs, lost players in World War I, and when you consider the many supporters of the club who lived in the area, there are hundreds of men who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country who come from our local community,” Mr Thomas said.

“We hope the Avenues of Honour built in the Port Adelaide district will stand for years to come as a reminder of this legacy and sacrifice.

“It’s an honour for our footy club to be part of this project and we hope it’s something our community can be proud of, and support as well.”

Daniel, Jemma and Chloe help Kane Mitchell with the Lone Pine to be planted as the Port Adelaide Football Club's war memorial

The partnership between the Port Adelaide Football Club and Treenet is an Australian-first and will serve as a model for future Avenue partnerships in future years.

Port Adelaide Enfield is currently determining the final location of the first Port Adelaide Avenue of Honour, however, Treenet’s Avenues of Honour director David Lawry says the opportunity to plant 100 trees with the support of the community will set a standard for the rest of Australia to follow.

“This is an Australian-first and it will leave a lasting legacy in Port Adelaide’s heartland and will lead other communities to follow in the club’s footsteps,” Mr Lawry says.

“Port Adelaide is where most of the 6600 South Australians who died in World War I had their last glimpse of home, and the ground on which the relatives stood as they farewelled their boys on the decks of the departing ships.

“We only have to repeat this a thousand times and we will have achieved our aim of honouring each individual with a tree that will stand as a permanent reminder of the people we treasure, so to have the Port Adelaide Football Club and its community support this project is something everyone should be proud of.

“Port Adelaide has certainly set the standard for other organisations to follow.”

Sponsor the Port Adelaide Avenue of Honour

To sponsor the Port Adelaide Avenue of Honour, for a once-off tax deductible donation of $200, visit Treenet’s donation portal here.

Select Avenues of Honour 1915-2015 and then Port Adelaide Enfield/Port Adelaide Football Club to donate and register as a benefactor of the scheme. You will then be contacted ahead of planting with further details about your tree, sponsored soldier and planting. You can also request a receipt for tax purposes.