Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt to take place Saturday

BY PRESTON BURROWS

Get ready, get set, go! Hays area kids’ feet will take off to find as many Easter eggs as they can in the FHSU Quad on Saturday at the 48th annual Kiwanis Club Easter Egg Hunt.

The event is for kids ten and under and involves searching for eggs filled with candy, coins, and gift certificates for free meals around town. 

Kiwanis Club President Chuck White says that the club appreciates the local businesses that donate the coupons and the banks for donating the quarters hidden in the eggs.

“It kind of turned into a huge successful community event that happens every Easter,” White said.

The Kiwanis Club also gets help from local service club organizations like Circle K at FHSU, Builders Club, and Key Club to help stuff and hide the eggs. 

“We are up to stuffing about 6,000 eggs, so it takes a couple hours to fill all of those the day before the hunt and then the next morning we go out and hide the 6,000 eggs,” White said. “It really is kind of the standing joke at the Kiwanis that it takes several hours to stuff the eggs and about two minutes to find the 6000 eggs.”

White also reminisced about how long the event has been held. The first egg hunt took place in 1974. 

“We still have a few members in the club that were around back then that remember the eggs actually being hard-boiled eggs that they had to dye the day before in different colors and then kids would hunt for those,” he said. “But along came the plastic eggs with the candy which kids really seem to enjoy.”

Kiwanis Club Event Chair Michele Springer guessed that there are about 100 kids in each event and also mentioned how fast the egg hunt happens. 

“The event actually begins at 9 o’clock in the morning and it is done at 9:01… it is a huge event.,” she said. 

From past experience with the event, Springer also listed some tips for people planning to attend. 

Being on time was at the top of Springer’s suggestions as the hunt happens so fast that she wouldn’t want anyone to miss out. She clarified that on-time meant before the event started. 

“Definitely bring something to put the candy or the coins in … a little bag,” I’ve seen little kids sticking items in their sweatshirts,” Springer said. 

The event starts at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday in the Quad area at FHSU. The different age groups will be split up into different sections before the Easter egg hunt begins to ensure the egg hunt is fair.