Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW Day) is a national day of recognition to say ‘thank you’ to all SES volunteers across Australia.
This year WOW Day will be celebrated on Wednesday 21 May 2025.
On WOW Day we encourage communities across Australia to wear orange and thank all SES volunteers who generously give their time to help communities during floods, storms and emergencies.
As we get closer to the day, we will share more on this page and on our social media about how you can celebrate WOW Day, including resources you can use to thank our amazing SES volunteers, such as posters, social tiles, and more.
What to do before WOW Day
- Plan a WOW Day morning tea or casual dress day at your workplace to say thank you to SES volunteers
- Organise to light up your workplace in orange light on the day
- Encourage friends and family to wear something orange on the day
- Pick out some orange clothes to wear on the day
What to do on WOW Day
- Wear something orange in colour
- Take a photo of yourself and your colleagues wearing orange and post it to social media using the hashtag #ThankYouSES
- Host a WOW Day morning tea
- Bake something orange
- Light up your home or workplace in orange lights
- Say thank you to a SES volunteer
Resources
You can use the following resources to celebrate WOW Day and say thank you to our amazing volunteers.
Thank you to all the SES volunteers across Australia who work all year round to protect us and our most vulnerable. We thank you for saving lives and protecting communities.
Visit our SES Volunteer Registration page to register your interest in becoming an SES volunteer in South Australia.
National Volunteer Week
WOW Day is celebrated during National Volunteer Week.
In 2025, National Volunteer Week will be held on 19 to 25 May 2025
National Volunteer Week is celebrated across Australia to acknowledge the generous contribution that all Australian volunteers make in their communities. The theme for National Volunteer Week 2025 is Connecting Communities. Let’s acknowledge the spirit of connection and the incredible impact volunteers have in building thriving and inclusive communities.
During National Volunteer Week, join us in celebrating the valuable contributions of all volunteers across Australia.
Visit the Volunteering Australia, National Volunteer Week page to learn more about the week.