Saturday’s temperatures could have been warmer, but the sun shone down on more than 700 kids and their families, as they attended a giant Easter egg hunt in Chatham.
FreeHelpCK, a local charitable organization, hosted the event at Chatham Christian School, with three different age groups searching for thousands of plastic eggs filled with chocolate.
“I’m in awe,” Geri Hughson, founder of the organization, said of the turnout. “It’s a wonderful day.”
Prizes were also available, including bikes, scooters and earbuds, but every participant received something, she added.
Tim Haskell, a FreeHelpCK board member, was pleased with the overwhelming community response, adding that many families seemed eager to come out.
“It’s nice to have some normalcy back,” he said. “I think it’s awesome. You’ve got to give the little kids something to look forward to.”
A number of other community groups also held egg hunts and various activities throughout Chatham-Kent over the Easter weekend.
Given the size of the crowd, Haskell said the schoolyard was ideal for their event.
“You needed the big space. This is perfect,” he said. “It gives them a lot of room to run.”
Cienna Butler, who took her six-year-old brother, Raymond, to the egg hunt, say he enjoyed the experience.
“It’s awesome that they do things like this,” she said.
Butler added that her parents’ business, Sweet C’s Cookie Creations, has worked hand-in-hand with FreeHelpCK on various initiatives, such as cookies for seniors, and credited the group’s work in the community.
Hughson said the organization continues to deliver meals to those in need, while maintaining a dozen food pantries throughout the municipality. It is also gearing up for its prom dress and suit program.
She added she’s impressed with the public’s generosity to the various causes.
“I can’t say enough about Chatham-Kent,” she said.
For more information, visit FreeHelpCK on Facebook, or log onto https://www.freehelpck.ca/