Ekka Strawberry Sundaes:

While the beloved treat continues to delight showgoers today under the stewardship of the RNA, for 35 years The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation had the privilege of being the charitable organisation behind the iconic fundraising program, with every sundae helping fund life-changing medical research, equipment and patient care at The Prince Charles Hospital. The beginnings were humble, but several key ingredients made this fundraising program grow into such a mammoth operation: the people, the product and the purpose.

For 35 years, tens of thousands of volunteers, many with their own connection to The Prince Charles Hospital, donned their aprons and gloves each August to assemble and serve the iconic treat to help raise funds for research, equipment and patient care initiatives.

One of them was Alison Hodda, who volunteered at 27 Ekkas between 1990 and 2024.

The act of preparing and selling the sweet sundaes for showgoers to enjoy was an extremely meaningful way for Alison to give back to the hospital for the life-saving care she’d received.

Giving back to the hospital that saved her life: Why Alison became one of thousands of Ekka Volunteers

For Alison, serving Strawberry Sundaes was far more than volunteering. It was her way of giving back to the hospital that saved her life.

In 1964, Alison was just a newborn when she was flown from hospital near her home in Mt Isa for urgent care at The Prince Charles Hospital – then known as the Chermside Chest Hospital.

“I arrived at the hospital as an extremely ill six-day-old baby, having been diagnosed with Oesophageal atresia – that is, my oesophagus was not joined to my stomach, but ended blindly within my chest cavity. I also had two holes in my heart,” Alison said.

At just ten days old, Alison had already undergone two major operations to connect her oesophagus to her stomach.  Fortunately, the holes in her heart eventually closed and did not require surgery.

“I was not expected to survive. The care I received at the hospital is the only reason I’m here today.”

After three months in the hospital, Alison and her family returned to Mt Isa, but before her first birthday, they’d relocated to Brisbane to be closer to the hospital. With regular check-ups until she was ten years old and being referred to the hospital again as a 19-year-old with a heart murmur, the care ignited a strong desire to give back and stay connected to the place, which means a lot to her.

At first, she volunteered through the hospital auxiliary from 1987 with cake stalls, cooking cakes and biscuits to be sold to raise money.

Then in 1990, during the Foundation’s early years of operating the Ekka Strawberry Sundae program, Alison signed up for her first shift to serve the iconic treats.

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An iconic Ekka tradition

Over the years, Alison watch both the Strawberry Sundae and the operation behind it evolve.

“Back then, the original ice creams consisted of a white cylinder ice cream that you’d place in the bottom of the cone. Then you added strawberries onto that, and then you’d add the Ekka or strawberry wheel on top. Imagine the wheel on a pram or trolley – an inch high and three inches across – it fitted directly on the lip of the cone. Then we added a dollop of cream and strawberry on top. The ice cream came in boxes – 72 strawberry wheels in a box and 120 white cylinders,” she recalled.

“There was no scooping back then, but it was a production line too. We’d take the ice cream boxes out of the freezer and separate the wheels and cylinders, ready to be assemble the sundaes.”

In later years, the method involved scooping – with one scoop of white ice cream as the first step, followed by a scoop of chopped strawberries, then a large scoop of strawberry ice cream, a rosette of whipped cream and a strawberry to top it off.

The ingredients made the sundaes even more special, with juicy strawberries grown and picked north of Brisbane. And in 2011, local, family-owned Lick Ice Cream began handcrafting delectable ice cream, with the recipe for the strawberry flavour a tightly held secret, as it’s a limited-edition flavour produced only for the Ekka.

The people, the product and the purpose

At the Foundation, we believe the secret to the success of the Ekka Strawberry Sundaes throughout the Foundation’s 35-year involvement lies in three main ingredients.

The people, the product and the purpose.

The people were the thousands of volunteers who generously gave their time, many returning year after year and, in some cases, decade after decade.

The product became one of Queensland’s most recognisable Ekka traditions, bringing joy to generations of families.

The purpose was simple but powerful: every sundae sold helped fund research, medical equipment and patient care initiatives that have improved the lives of countless patients.

“We are incredibly proud of the legacy we have built together and the significant impact this program has had over the decades. It will always remain one of the most significant fundraising programs in our history and evolution,” said Steve Francia, CEO of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.

By the time the Foundation concluded its involvement in the Ekka Strawberry Sundae program at the beginning of 2025, it had swelled to a mammoth operation.

It took nine months of planning, five stalls, and the involvement of more than 2,000 incredible volunteers to scoop and serve the treats at the show.

“It was a difficult decision, but this ensured that our resources could be better directed towards our core mission of funding life-saving research and patient care,” said Steve.

This iconic fundraising program has played an important role in the Foundation’s 40-year history, helping fund research, equipment and patient care that has changed lives. Explore some of its impact in our 40-Year Impact Report.

The success of this program for more than three decades is a testament to the incredible volunteers and the Foundation’s community.

“We are deeply grateful to everyone whose hard work and generosity helped make the program a success, ultimately resulting in helping patients live healthier for longer. ​To everyone who has been part of it, including those who have generously volunteered their time over the years, and in some instances, decades – thank you. Your dedication has made a real difference in the lives of countless patients.” Chloe Nguyen, Chief Communications and Philanthropy Officer.

The Ekka Strawberry Sundae Program created joy and connection

The Ekka Strawberry Sundae program will forever be a cherished part of our journey at The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, bringing joy, connecting communities, along with raising vital funds for medical research for 35 years.

“My husband and I and another couple used to do double shifts. We just loved it,” Alison recalled.

Since moving to central Queensland in 1999, continued travelled to volunteer at the Ekka each year despite living more than 600 kilometres away.

“I made lots of long-term friendships. The people who volunteered were just great. In fact, I’m still in contact with a few of them all of those years later,” she said.

Alison was one of around 2,000 volunteers who scooped up sundaes at the Foundation’s final stalls in 2024.

“That was particularly poignant for me as it was nearly 60 years to the week that I had first arrived at the hospital for life-saving surgery as a baby,” said Alison.

While the Foundation no longer operates the strawberry sundae program at the Ekka, Alison still wants to give back to causes they care about and encourages others to do the same.

“If everyone could do a little bit for one charity or organisation, the world would be a better place,” she said.

Thank you everyone who was part of the program

Thank you again to Alison and the thousands of volunteers, researchers, clinicians, supporters and Foundation community members. Your contributions through the Ekka Strawberry Sundae program have left an incredible mark on the Foundation and the lives of countless patients and will forever be part of our story. ​