General News
8 April, 2026
Community drives Wimmera generosity for Good Friday Appeal
Wimmera communities once again turned compassion into action, with smaller towns and communities helping power another strong regional result in the 2026 Good Friday Appeal.
Horsham raised $64,954.92, Stawell $57,499.37, Ararat $31,626.78, Warracknabeal $29,903.42, Nhill $22,343.23, and Dimboola contributed $17,549.69, as volunteers, CFA brigades, community groups and local donors backed the annual fundraiser for The Royal Children’s Hospital.
Across regional Victoria and southern NSW, 229 towns rallied behind the appeal, with area managers organising intersection collections, door knocks and community events.
Horsham Good Friday Appeal area manager Ray Carman said the town’s collection day exceeded expectations.
“The collection day went extremely well, and the generosity was absolutely outstanding,” he said.
Mr Carman said Horsham’s Good Friday operation brought together seven fire trucks, support from neighbouring brigades including Doeen, Jung and Vectis, and about 60 volunteers.
Collectors worked across the town, while Rotary and the Horsham Rural City Band also joined major intersection collections.
“On the day in Horsham, with the five brigades going around the town and the three traffic light collection points, we raised just over the $32,000 mark,” he said.
He said the overall tally of nearly $65,000 appeared to be a record for Horsham.
“I believe that $65,000 is a record for Horsham,” he said.
“I believe that the last best one was about eight years ago, for $62,000.”
Mr Carman said he had expected cost-of-living pressures to affect donations, but the public response proved overwhelmingly positive.
“The attitude of the donors was all very, very positive,” he said.
In Dimboola, area manager Debbie Clark said the community also dug deep despite tough economic conditions.
The town’s fundraising centred on a three-week street raffle campaign, followed by a major Good Friday event at the Dimboola Recreation Reserve.
“Generosity was awesome, considering the fuel prices and things like that,” she said.
Ms Clark said volunteers sold raffle tickets in the lead-up to Good Friday, while the main event featured emergency services, a petting zoo, face painting, a jumping castle, an Easter hunt, hot food and a giant raffle with more than 50 prizes.
“On Good Friday, we have an event down at the AMP society, where the footy grounds are,” she said.
“We have all the emergency services down there, including ambulance, fire, SES and police.”
While attendance was slightly down from last year, Clark said the final result still surpassed expectations.
“At the end of the day, we’ve probably raised a fraction more than what we did last year, which we didn’t expect,” she said.
“So it’s been a very, very good result.”
She said the official tally would likely rise further once late additions were counted.
“It’ll be over $18,000 now because I had a couple of things to add to it afterwards,” she said.
Town fundraising totals included Ararat $31,626.78, Dimboola $17,549.69, Edenhope $2654.22, Glenorchy $11,306.42, Goroke $4851.89, Harrow $740.52, Horsham $64,954.92, Jeparit $3469.82, Kaniva $4349.47, Marnoo $1435.48, Murtoa $5816.61, Natimuk $7744.04, Nhill $22,343.23, Rainbow $5316.44, Rupanyup $6611.84, Stawell $57,499.37, and Warracknabeal $29,903.42.
Rainbow Good Friday Appeal area coordinator and Rainbow CFA brigade member Adrian Bennett said fewer people were in town this year, which affected the collection effort.
“We raised $4479.5 in cash on the day,” he said.
“I think there were less people around this year due to the fuel crisis and everything.”
In Jeparit, organiser and CFA member Alicia Rosewall said volunteers focused their collection on the river and lake areas.
“We do a collection around the river and the lake,” she said.
She said this year’s appeal was especially significant for the town.
“This is actually the 50th year that Jeparit Fire Brigade have been collecting for the Royal Children’s Hospital,” she said.
Ms Rosewall also thanked locals for continuing to support the cause.
“Just thank them for their generosity,” she said.
The appeal also recognised long-running fundraising milestones across regional areas.
Donald marked 75 years; Hopetoun 70; Morwell 65; and Moe/Newborough, Mortlake, and Birchip each celebrated 55 years.
Another 18 towns reached 50 years of fundraising, including Jeparit, Edenhope, Marnoo and Rupanyup.
A special acknowledgement also went to the CFA, which marked 75 years of Good Friday Appeal support this year.
With the Donald Fire Brigade first fundraising in 1951, the CFA raised $2.15 million in 2026 through more than 225 brigades, taking its cumulative contribution to $43.15 million.
