Over 1,000 were on hand for the Parks and Recreation Department’s annual “Great Easter Egg Hunt”.
Over 1,000 were on hand for the Parks and Recreation Department’s annual “Great Easter Egg Hunt”.
Parents from all over the area came out with their children on Saturday March 22, to Wade Park for the annual Easter egg hunt. With temperatures in the mid sixties, the Parks and Recreation department’s estimate of the amount of kids to attend were quickly exceeded. Even with the expanded parking lots, parking was a premium. Vehicles filled the lots and lined the shoulders of the roadway leading into the park.
Parks and Rec. personnel prepared 15,000 plastic eggs by placing bookmarks and chocolate, as well as placing “special” eggs into the mix which held prizes such as Bicycles and other items donated by local merchants.
The search areas were marked off by flags for each age group, and as the kids waited for the sound of the starting horn, most were plotting egg grabbing strategies to optimize their chances. Finally, with a blast from the starting horn kids with parents in tow scrambled as fast as they could to the eggs lying on the ground. It only took five minutes or less for the 15,000 eggs to be scooped from the ground.
After the hunt was over, children huddled on the ground with their parents checking their baskets and bags to see what was inside the plastic eggs that they had just scooped up only minutes before. For most it was a good days hunting but for the few that did not make it to the eggs quick enough to get even one in their basket it was a bit of a disappointing day.
Franklin County Parks and Recreation hold a number of events such as this throughout the year, to place an emphasis on family and getting kids outdoors instead of them staying inside and playing video games or watching television.
Even before this event was over, the tireless staff of Parks & Rec. were planning next years event and thinking of ways to make it better as well as ways to even the odds for all the kids involved in next years “Great Easter Egg Hunt”.
The photo gallery for this report has been posted: Set 1 - Set 2 - Set 3 - Set 4
