Two Border Good Friday events harked back to pre-pandemic Easters, with appeal collectors on the streets and hundreds of children searching for eggs.
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More than 500 youngsters scoured a fenced-off area of Wodonga's Junction Square for 10,000 Easter eggs during a hunt organised by New Life Chapel.
Meanwhile throughout the region tins were shaken and sirens sounded as volunteers raised money for the annual Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
The fundraiser became a virtual tin shake last year in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions, but this year fire trucks again drove up and down Border streets to encourage donations.
Wodonga West Fire Brigade lieutenant Ross Coyle said many residents had answered the call generously.
"Of course I think people are keen to get out and away for Easter so some of the streets appear a bit quieter, but certainly the response where there's people is just fantastic," he said.
"Lots and lots of people are saying it's fantastic to see us back out after not being able to do it last year."
The Attwater children, who had been hearing the sirens all morning, took the opportunity to add to an overall appeal tally that had passed $6 million Friday afternoon.
Their mother Sarah Attwater said they always donated to the Good Friday Appeal street collection.
"The kids love it," she said.
"Just the fire truck and the sirens; obviously we do it because it's a good cause."
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Back at Junction Square, New Life Chapel kids and youth pastor Todd Werner prepared to restock for another Easter egg hunt at the church on Sunday, given the Good Friday event numbers.
"All the eggs got used up, we had some spare for Sunday and all those eggs got used up, which is good," he said.
"I'm not complaining, it was great that people came out."
The hunt was divided into age groups, from 1-2 years up to "13 to 99 year-olds".
"We had a couple of parents who were keen to get involved and keen to jump in," Pastor Werner said.
One little girl who missed out in the 3-4 years section was quickly given some eggs by one of the 38 volunteers.
Pepi Favier-Trickey, 3, of Wodonga, found some eggs on a hay bale.
"I rushed her out when I thought we had more than enough," her mother Brittany said, outlining an approach taken by several parents.
Mrs Favier-Trickey said her family enjoyed the hunt.
"We've got three kids, so anything that's free and in the community, we're there," she said.
Senior Pastor Zoran Paunovich felt the event had been an overwhelming success and "the mood was fabulous".
"People love to get out and about and after the COVID thing that we've been through, just to get people out in the sunshine, mixing, connecting with one another instead of this whole season of isolation," he said.
"Gathering families together and kids, it's fantastic."
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