Chelsea Kiwanis Club and Key Club members were out early Saturday morning, scattering and hiding about 2,500 plastic eggs around the property at Chelsea Retirement Community for the club’s annual Easter Egg hunt.
In addition to eggs filled with soft candy, some held special tickets that entitled the finder to paddle ball games, stuffed rabbits and ducks. Plus, there were two grand prize winners — Liam Guthrie and Madelyn Henson, who won large stuffed bunnies.
Despite the fact that the Chelsea Community Schools are on spring break, several hundred children raced around the retirement community’s property collecting eggs while some of the residents sat on chairs inside watching the young Easter egg hunters snatching up eggs and placing them in baskets of all colors, sizes and shapes.
Plus, both adults and children took an opportunity to have photos taken with the Easter bunny.
“It’s great, all the little hugs and high fives,” said Erica Vanneste, a Key Club member, describing what it was like to be the Easter Bunny at last year’s Kiwanis Easter egg hunt. “It was a great way to spread the Easter spirit,” she said.
For 17-year-old Paul Wozniak, this Easter will be one he’ll remember for a lifetime. He had the honor of being this year’s Easter bunny.
“It was kind of cool,” he said, adding “All the kids seemed to enjoy it. I could feel the excitement in the kids and got a lot of hugs and kisses.”
He was rooted on by fellow Key Club members Abby Fischer, Vanneste, and his sister, Angela Wozniak.
Although the eggs were easily seen and found by the two groups of younger children, the key club members got kudos from parents for making it a true Easter egg hunt for the older children. The eggs were hidden in trees, under pine needles and other natural items.
“For the older kids, we thought that’s what it was supposed to be — a hunt,” the Key Club members said.
The best part of the hunt was described as the candy, being together with everyone in the family, and getting prizes.
In fact, extended families, such as the Henson, Byrum and Kelly clan got together for this year’s Easter Egg hunt, which was a first for many of them. Eight children from the families, ages 2-12 years, took part.
Lilianne Trinkle, 7, said the key to getting lots of eggs was “to run really fast” and she collected a basket full of Easter eggs. Her mom, Alyssa, who works in accounting at the retirement community, and her dad, Carl, said their daughter “was motivated”. She and her sister, Alice, 4, won paddle ball games.
Dylan Trinkle, 1, said he liked the candy the best.
Kay Kemner, chairman of the event, said the Kiwanis has hosted the free hunt for more than 30 years and three years ago, the children hunted eggs in the snow.
This year, the weather cooperated and lots of children went home with smiles on their faces and candy, toys and stuffed animals in their hands.
And, despite the fact that Guthrie only found four or five eggs, one of them held a special ticket for one of the two grand prizes.
Happy Easter, everyone.
