Egg hunts to raise vital funds

THE tastiest event at this weekend’s Easter Fair will also ensure people in the Loddon Mallee region who are blind or have low vision can continue to access the supports they need.

Vision Australia is organising the 22 Easter egg hunts at Rosalind Park tomorrow, with a whopping 85,000 eggs to be found.

Loddon Mallee regional client services manager Adam English said proceeds made from the day’s ticket sales were vital for the not-for-profit and the people it works with.

“Without fundraising, to be honest, we couldn’t run our organisation,” he said.

“The Loddon Mallee is an enormous area so we do a lot of outreach support, but we couldn’t do it without those means.

“Children’s services certainly come to mind in how we need to fund those, because often those particular services are unfunded for us. It helps us to be able to deliver those supports to those who really need it at a young age.”

Money raised will go towards initiatives like providing specialists to help children in their early transition to school.

“If you think about someone coming from kinder into a very new environment, we throw immediate support into a specialist called an orientation and mobility specialist who will look at how someone might navigate the school,” Mr English said.

“Then, how can we educate the educators to understand someone with low vision or blindness and how they can practically support them at the classroom level.”

Mr English said Vision Australia staff were delighted to bring the egg hunts back to the region, after the Bridge Street office received the huge delivery of Easter eggs late last month.

“It brings a real buzz to the building when they arrive. I can literally smell the chocolate,” he said.

“The team really gets on board, and it is an all team effort. We are heavily supported by volunteers at Vision Australia but also through the SES as well with their amazing support on the ground to run the 22 hunts across the day.”