Many Ipswich residents had to throw their regular Easter plans out the window, as tougher social distancing restrictions and a strict travel ban were put in place in the lead up to the long weekend.
It left many local families bracing for an Easter without celebration. That is, until the Easter Bunny was spotted on a walk in Raceview over the weekend in the latest show of Ipswich’s community spirit.
And it’s not just the Easter Bunny, a bunch of kooky characters have been spotted wandering the streets of Raceview of late including Olaf from Frozen, Pikachu and Minions.
The people behind the costumes, mother-daughter duo Leanne and Emily Gardner, said they were simply trying to put a smile on their neighbours’ faces while getting some exercise.
“I said to my daughter the other week that we should dress up and go for a walk to spread some smiles,” Ms Gardner said.
“The world is so gloomy right now and smiles cost nothing, so that’s exactly what we did.”
Ever since, they’ve been making people’s days, including one local youngster whose V8 supercar birthday party had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.
“I saw a post on Facebook about a little boy that was turning five, so I decided to message his mother and arrange a walk by with a homemade sign that said ‘Happy 5th Birthday’,” she said.
The Easter Bunny needed to pick up groceries, with loo paper on the top of his shopping list. Source: Facebook
“If we could walk past every child and every street we would, but sadly we can’t.”
Photos of the pair in various costumes have been shared widely across social media. Ms Gardner said she never anticipated such a huge response.
“We just started walking around our local area and the next minute we were posted on TikTok and all over Facebook,” she said.
“Everyone that has seen us out has beeped their car horn, yelled out, waved and taken photos.
“We never knew it was going to be such a hit.”
Pikachu and Marshall from Paw Patrol have also been spotted in Raceview recently. Source: Facebook
Ms Gardner said she bought the costumes second-hand off Facebook marketplace.
“My daughter’s favourite costume is Minions and mine is Pikachu,” she said.
“I promise to age, but never grow up.”
Ms Gardner and her daughter have been practising strict social distancing while on their walks around their neighbourhood.
Ipswich has always pulled together during tough times, and it’s no different with COVID-19. We’d love to hear about what’s happening in your neighbourhood. Get in touch at [email protected]
