More than 200 participate in annual Easter Egg Hunt
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
The place to be on Saturday was Gateway Park, where the Coatesville Parks and Recreation Commission hosted a crowd-pleasing Easter Egg Hunt.
The Easter Bunny helped put some spring in the steps of the more than 200 eager participants in Coatesville’s Easter Egg Hunt at Gateway Park on Saturday afternoon.
“The Easter Bunny was absolutely awesome,” said Marie Hess, head of the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission, which sponsored the event for the third year in a row. “He was so natural and so great with the kids.”
Hess said an enthusiastic crowd began to gather about half an hour before the 1 p.m. start time for the 4 and under group. After the younger children grabbed their share in about five minutes, organizers quickly hid the other half of the bounty for the 5 and over set. The result: 1,600 candy-filled eggs were history in about 15 minutes.
The attendance contrasted starkly with last year’s gathering, which drew about a dozen children, Hess said. She attributed the increase in popularity to two factors: egg-ceptionally outstanding weather and the addition of bilingual flyers in storefronts.
“It was great to see so many people out having fun,” she said, adding that there were some small exceptions. A few kids weren’t quick enough to fill their baskets, but their disappointment was short-lived. Hess said the group anticipated that possibility and had some reserves ready for those who came up empty-handed.
Coatesville Police Officer Rodger Ollis said he had the privilege of escorting the Easter Bunny to the hunt, where the beloved rabbit got quite a workout. Hess explained that the floppy-eared icon was mobbed by the older kids during the youngsters’ hunt and then the situation reversed during the second phase. Even after the eggs were long gone, he continued posing for photos, Hess said.
Ollis said he was amazed by the size of the crowd, which he estimated at between 250 and 300, including the adults. “It was nice to see so many Coatesville residents gathered in a park for a positive community event,” he said.
Hess said she hopes to increase the number of eggs next year. She said donations from the Greater Light to the World Ministries Inc. in West Grove, the Giant supermarket in Thorndale, and the Brandywine Health Foundation helped fund the festivities.
