The sirens have fallen silent, and the donation tins are packed away, but the Echuca Lions Club is already preparing to make the next Good Friday Appeal even bigger.

It has been a record-breaking year, marking a staggering $3 million milestone that the community has contributed to the Royal Children’s Hospital over 46 years of participation.

The Lions, a small but integral part of the appeal machine, are already back in preparation mode.

On Good Friday, the Lions volunteers weren’t collecting donations in the streets, but they got to see first-hand the amount of money coming in as they counted at the Echuca Workers Club.

Unlike previous years when automatic systems kept track of the cash, each coin brought in from the Echuca CFA, Girl Guides, NSW RFS and Fire and Rescue was personally counted by dedicated Lions volunteers.

Committee member Howard Bretting said, from their position, the sheer volume of donations flowing in was outstanding.

“That just blew me away because it’s supposed to be tight times, but the generosity in this community here in Echuca and over the border in NSW — everyone did an extremely good job,” he said.

Echuca’s Good Friday Appeal raised $134,989, with $32,000 raised over the past year through collection tins placed at businesses.

It was a community-wide effort, according to Lions president John Simson, who wished to thank the Echuca Workers for providing space, the volunteers who sacrificed their public holiday, and the ANZ bank for helping over the year and on the day with the over $16,000 of coins they collected.

And, while the coins have been banked and the tally boards wiped clean for 2026, the Lions aren’t resting.

Mr Bretting said the Lions were looking into more innovative and modern ways of fundraising, including a portable EFTPOS machine that allows people to easily tap and donate $1 or $2.

However, the committee is aware that regardless of how they fundraise, they know they have the backing of a strong-willed community.

With a dedicated team and a community that refuses to close their wallets, the road to the next million dollars has already begun.

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Thursday, 30th December 2027

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