Saturday morning brought perfect weather for two annual free Easter egg hunts in Edmonds, each drawing hundreds of children and parents: the downtown Edmonds hunt at Frances Anderson Center playfield and the Edmond Lutheran Church event near Highway 99’s Gateway Plaza.
The downtown event, organized by the Edmonds Daybreakers Rotary, has been going on for decades and never fails to draw a big crowd. Run in three heats (3-4 year olds, 5-7 year olds, and 8-10 year olds), kids lined up on either side of Frances Anderson Field to wait for Fire District 1’s siren, signaling the OK to dash onto the field and grab up as many candy-stuffed, multi-colored eggs as possible. For a lucky few, the egg contained a ticket for a special prize, a large chocolate rabbit.
In the case of the Edmonds Lutheran Church event, also a longtime tradition, more than 15,000 candy-filled eggs were spread out over the church’s 4-acre campus. Eggs were divided between different lots, allowing each age group to hunt simultaneously following the sounding of an air horn. Children’s entertainment and refreshments were provided, and there was also a special appearance by the Easter Bunny.
Standing at a table with boxes of stuffed bunny toys, church member Kathy Ludgate said that participants were encouraged to empty the goodies from the plastic eggs they collect into a take-home bag or container. Those who did so — and returned the empty plastic eggs to the designated table — receive a bunny toy as a reward. The church then washes and stores the eggs so they can be re-used next year.
At the downtown Edmonds event, students from the Edmonds-Woodway High School’s Key Club scattered eggs and candy across Frances Anderson field in preparation for the next wave of eager youngsters.
“Weeks of planning go into this event each year,” said Jamie Reece, event sponsor and Daybreakers Rotarian. “But then the kids rush onto the field and it’s all over so fast. But we know the memories last, and that’s what’s really important.”
— By Larry Vogel and Teresa Wippel, with downtown egg hunt photos by Vogel and church egg hunt photos by Wippel.
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