WOW! - Wear Orange Wednesday

Wear Orange Wednesday (WOW) on 21 May 2025, is the national day to celebrate and thank SES volunteers. It has been a challenging severe weather season for most of Queensland, and our SES volunteers have once again demonstrated outstanding dedication to supporting their communities through difficult times. They have responded to over 23,000 requests for SES assistance since WOW in May 2024!

Show your thanks by sharing WOW messages and photos in the lead up to WOW, and wearing orange on Wednesday 21 May 2025. This page includes a range of resources to help the community express their appreciation for the time SES members dedicate to training, preparation and assisting Queensland communities. 

There are plenty of ways to get involved, for example you could:

  • add a splash of orange to your outfit for the day
  • organise or take part in WOW celebrations at your work, school or elsewhere in your community
  • take a photo of yourself in something orange and post it on social media along with the #ThankyouSES and #QLDSES hashtags
  • light up your business, home, workplace or other property in orange on Tuesday and Wednesday nights
  • keep an eye out for and participate in local WOW community events organised by businesses, organisations and SES regions, units and groups
  • do some fun orange and SES themed activities at school, OSHC, daycare or youth group.

WOW takes place annually on the Wednesday of National Volunteer Week, from 19 to 25 May in 2025.


WOW resources

Social media tiles

Follow each linked image for a full version to use in your social media posts.

WOW-Social-media-tile-1

WOW-Social-media-tile-2

Promote WOW in your community

Use these posters and add some orange to your signature block to build awareness of WOW.

Poster (PDF)
WOW-Poster-t

Email signature banners

Follow each linked image for a full version to use in your email signature.

A thumbnail of an email signature banner with stylised text of W O W above Wear Orange Wednesday and 21 May 2025 on the left and on the right two images of SES volunteers in orange uniforms.

A thumbnail of an email signature banner with stylised text of W O W above Wear Orange Wednesday and 21 May 2025 on the left and on the right two images of SES Platypus Paddy.

A thumbnail of an email signature banner with text To thank SES volunteers above stylised text of W O W above Wear Orange Wednesday on the left, and on the right are three photos of SES volunteers in orange uniforms above the text 21 May 2025.

A thumbnail of an email signature banner with stylised text of W O W above Wear Orange Wednesday on the left and on the right the text to thank SES volunteers wear orange 21 May 2025.

Activities

Add some orange fun to your school day, OSHC program or other child-friendly occasion.

Colouring-in pages (PDF)
WOWPaddyColouring

Word search
WOW-Word-Search

Say thanks or hi!

Say hi to a friend and let them know about WOW. Or better still send a message of thanks to your local SES unit or group via the local SES area office or council.

Postcard
WOWPostcard

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