More than $250,000 was raised across Albury-Wodonga and surrounds for the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal, ensuring the Twin Cities again had the highest tally outside Melbourne.
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Albury had a final figure of $126,131 and Wodonga netted $121,967 for a grand total of $248,098, putting the Twin Cities above Geelong ($234,097) and Ballarat ($218,246).
Baranduda this year was counted separately and it raised $8592.
Last year, Albury-Wodonga had an overall figure of $221,683, meaning an additional $26,415 was raised in 2024 despite continuing economic woes.
Albury and district appeal area manager Brett Perston and his Wodonga counterpart Des Brooker were delighted with the response from the community.
"That's the most we've ever collected north of the border, it's one of the few times Albury has collected more than Wodonga," Mr Perston said.
"It's unbelievable, the generosity of people towards the Good Friday Appeal and how they responded is fantastic."
Mr Brooker said: "We're pretty pleased with it, we had 165 volunteers across the city on Good Friday and that includes the people in the counting room."
On the ground, $101,000 was collected through emergency services canvassing donations in Albury, Thurgoona, Table Top and Gerogery and that was entirely cash rather than from tap technology.
Mr Perston and Mr Brooker said there was little feedback about the money going towards Albury Wodonga Health or the earlier snub of the Border by organisers.
"In some areas we had volunteers where we hadn't been recently that might have helped, but I can't put a finger on it," Mr Perston said.
"People feel that it is such a good cause and having part of the funds coming back to Albury Wodonga Health is also a fantastic thing."
Helpers from the Scouts, CFA, RFS, Fire and Rescue brigades, Albury and Border Volunteer Rescue Association, SES units and St John Ambulance were involved alongside Wodonga Lions Club members and Albury Rotarians.
Mr Brooker said just under $9000 had been raised through cans at the APCO fuel station in West Wodonga and lakeside Ebden resident Kathie Hawkins amassed $1200 to be Wodonga's biggest individual collector.
Elsewhere, there was also impressive increases from last year with Corowa-Wahgunyah accumulating $156,696 up from $116,830 and Wangaratta notching $121,262 compared to $104,929 in 2023.
Devenish, north of Benalla with a population of just over 200, and its nearby places netted a stunning $193,240 with retail promotions, a lamb drive, raffle and musical performers helping.
Benalla racked up $57,595, results for other places were Beechworth ($23,576), Corryong ($24,468), Jindera ($11,582), Mount Beauty ($14,925), Myrtleford ($32,881), Rutherglen ($17,020), Tallangatta ($7499) and Yarrawonga ($33,093).
