Young candy hunters don't need egging on

The eggs may have been plastic, but the kids sure scrambled.

The yellow, pink and blue speckles dotted the grass at Sunset Park in Lewiston for about an hour Saturday, before several hundred eager egg hunters snapped them up in 30 seconds flat.

Sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s brought hundreds of youngsters, parents in tow, to the park, each hoping to fill their baskets with a few of the chocolate-filled eggs. The possibility of a picture with the Easter bunny also kept the kids hopping.

"It's fantastic," said Lewiston Lions Club President Fred Schmidt. "It's a great turnout, but it's a great day for it."

Schmidt was one of several Lions volunteers who spread the 85 dozen eggs throughout the grass. The club organized the annual event, now in its 67th year. Schmidt watched the hunt from the hill overlooking the park with the Easter bunny, standing by in case the bunny needed an extra scoop of candy.

That candy brought young hunters from all over the region, including the Jason Rambo family of Cottonwood. Rambo's daughter, 5-year-old Jacey, was eager to take part in her first hunt at the park.

What kind of candy was she looking for? For Jacey, and others surrounding the eggs, it was unanimous.

"Chocolate," she eagerly said.

The kids ages 2 to 9 crowded around the hunting area long before all the eggs were down. The children were separated by age group, and Schmidt said the Lions added a new section for special-needs kids this year.

Shriners serenaded the families with a calliope before the festivities began. When time came for the hunt itself, the kids flooded the grass before an announcer's countdown was complete.

Nine-year-old Dokota Goad of Clarkston has come to the hunt for years. He was on the lookout for the eggs with stickers, meaning that egg could be turned in for a prize.

"I always get a lot of eggs," Dakota said before the hunt. "I always get my bucket full of eggs."

A purple Easter bucket served as a hat for 5-year-old Zoey Steele, as she anxiously waited for the hunt to begin.

But while she wanted to go home with a chocolate egg or two, Zoey said she was also looking forward to coloring her own Easter eggs later in the day.

"I like making eggs, I like that," she said.

Zoey's father, Teo Steele of Lewiston, said his daughter was taking part in her second Easter egg hunt.

Teo Steele said while the event is fun for the kids, the annual hunt provides an eventful afternoon for the parents too.

"The kids go crazy and the parents go nuts," said Teo Steele. "It's fun to watch."

---

Gary may be contacted at bgary@lmtribune.com or (208) 743-9600, ext. 262.