Wind and chill don’t hinder children on the hunt at the Lincoln Park District

 

[April 22, 2019] 

LINCOLN 

Had golfers been out on the driving range at the Lincoln Park District on Saturday morning, they would have struggled for sure with the high winds. While winds were not clocking storm speeds, it was tough. Luckily, the dozens of children lined up for the annual Easter egg hunt at the park district didn’t seem to care. They also didn’t seem to care that it was a very chilly April morning that required hoodies and even for some of them winter coats.

Impervious to the wind and chill, the single focus was on the hundreds of colorful plastic eggs strewn across the driving range. Divided by age, each group looked on with longing as Park District Activity Director Abby Neece called over the loud speaker that they had to wait just a little bit longer.

When at last the dash was on, it began with the smallest children, the zero to two year olds. With guidance from their parents the tiny tots worked their way the length of their section of the driving range filling bags or baskets with the colorful eggs.

The event moved on to the next group, and the next, until the four age brackets had completed their attack on the driving range.

 

Park District Executive Director John Andrews was watching from the “end zone.” He noted that it was all going well, and also that somewhere in the melee of one age group was his grandson, eagerly snatching up his fair share of the eggs. Andrews spotted his son and grandson at the end of the dash and made his way out to examine his grandson’s harvest.

Before and after the hunt, another focal point on the driving range was the Easter Bunny. Covered in his pretty white fur, the Easter Bunny may have been the warmest one at the park, and at least one parent was heard encouraging a child to ‘get warmed up’ by getting a hug from the bunny.

The line for hugs and candy from the Easter Bunny was long both before and after the egg hunt.

Once all the eggs were gathered, the children and their parents sat in groups emptying goodies from the plastic eggs. The emptied eggs were returned to the park district for use again next year. The candy inside was for the kids and their baskets once empty, then full of eggs, then empty again, filled for the last time with sweet treats.

All the kids and parents also paid close attention as the eggs were cracked open, looking for those special eggs that would inform the holder that a special prize was waiting for him or her at the golf barn.

The prizes handed out this year were very nice and the kids who won those special prizes were certainly happy about it.

This year the hunt saw a good turnout of children and parents. In all the age brackets parents accompanied the kids out onto the driving range. Some were there to help with the harvest while others were devoted to grabbing as many good pictures and videos of their child as possible.

All in all, it was a fun morning that set the stage for what was hopefully a very happy Easter weekend for all.

This year the park district egg hunt was sponsored by a number of local organizations including, Memorial Behavioral Health, Generations of Lincoln, Lincoln D.A.R.E., Lincoln Daily News, and Lincoln Rotary.

[Nila Smith]