Hop to it! The annual Border Easter Egg Hunt to support Albury Wodonga FoodShare is on Saturday 28 March at Albury’s Botanic Gardens. Photos: Border Easter Egg Hunt.
Albury’s botanic gardens will become a happy hunting ground of eggs-traordinary fun when more than 700 children and their families hop along to the weekend’s annual Border Easter Egg Hunt.
The young and young at heart are all invited to join the event on Saturday 28 March, which has become a much-loved tradition of creativity and connection to support families experiencing food insecurity across the region.
The 9 am to noon program features bumper Easter egg hunts in the Dinosaur Garden, face painting, jumping castles, an Easter hat parade, giant games and entertainment by the Murray Conservatorium – as well as appearances by the Easter Bunny and Mad Hatter – in a spectacular celebration of community spirit.
But behind the chocolatey frivolity of this morning of sun-soaked fun is a vital fundraising effort that has raised more than $36,000 in the past two years to support Albury Wodonga FoodShare’s critical community programs.
Operating from West Wodonga, the food-rescue charity provides food relief services – including a community pantry – across 10 local government areas, and rescues and distributes nutritious food to more than 100 welfare agencies, schools, and community hubs.
Albury Wodonga FoodShare CEO Katrina Pawley said reports showed one in three Aussie households were facing the distressing question of what, if anything, they could put on the dinner table.
In this region, 122,000 people were experiencing food insecurity with more than 38,000 people experiencing severe food insecurity, meaning they are skipping meals or going days without eating, according to Ms Pawley, (citing data collected from the Foodbank Hunger Report 2025).
In Albury-Wodonga alone there are more than 34,000 experiencing food insecurity, she said.
Escalating fuel prices have added to the cost of living strain, with more and more people reporting they are feeling the pressure of how to feed their families and themselves, according to Ms Pawley.
“In 2025, just over 7000 families (about 20,000 people) accessed groceries from our Community Pantry – with about 10 per cent indicating they were using the service for the first time,” she said.
“This year already, the number of people needing to reach out for support for the first time has doubled to 20 per cent. We know more and more people in our region are uncertain about where their next lot of groceries or food will come from.”
Ms Pawley said the organisation relied heavily on local sponsorship and community support to ensure it could continue to support those doing it tough.
She said the Border Easter Egg Hunt had become a highlight of the charity’s calendar for staff and volunteers because of the opportunity it presented for broader community engagement.
“It’s such a fun and positive event but at the same time it’s a vital platform for raising awareness around food security in this region,” Ms Pawley said.
“Because food insecurity is still quite hidden and does come with stigma, it’s really important we engage with the wider community and not just those who are food insecure. You can never really know what’s around the corner and when you might need help.
“A lot of people are paying it forward through donations and volunteering, and we really appreciate that support. It’s vital that we continue to raise funds to help those who need it.”
Established in 2018, the Border Easter Egg Hunt was originally founded by a passionate group of volunteers, and since its inception has donated $75,000 back into the community, supporting a range of local charities and causes.
Albury Wodonga FoodShare took over the event in 2018, with Rotary Club of Albury as the major event partner again this year, along with the Murray Conservatorium as a community partner.
This year there will be five times the number of Easter eggs to hunt down, staged in age groups from youngest to oldest.
Children are also being encouraged to bring along a handmade festive hat to join the parade, with prizes awarded for the most eggs-traordinary creations, as well as a Guess The Number Of Easter Eggs competition carrying a $300 prize!
The Border Easter Egg Hunt is on Saturday 28 March, 9 am – noon, Albury Botanic Gardens. For more information visit the Facebook page. Tickets available via foodshare.org.au/easter
