EGGCELLENT ADVENTURES

Even with heavy snow the previous day and slightly chilly weather, there might have been a record crowd at the Plains Easter Egg Hunt put on by the Plains Lions Club and the Assembly of God Church on the Move in Plains Sunday.

"It was covered with snow this morning. I had to put on boots to go sloshing around in it," said Jessica Peterson of the Church on the Move and the primary coordinator of the annual event. Peterson and five other volunteers put out 6,500 plastic eggs on the lawn covered in snow early Sunday morning at the E.L. Johnson Memorial Park. By the time kids lined up to retrieve the candy-filled eggs shortly after 1 p.m., the snow was gone and the sun was out.

The kids were divided into six age groups from birth to age 2 to 11-14-year-olds and let loose to snatch up eggs one group at a time. One group got a little "rowdy," said Peterson, chanting "Let us go, let us go" before they bolted out to gather their prizes. The eggs were mostly distributed evenly, but with a few more in the age 9-10 group, which had the largest search area and included eggs hidden in and around the park's playground equipment. It also had the largest number of kids with more than 70. The age 0-2 group had the smallest number with almost 20, but had help from mom, dad and grandparents, pointing out eggs or scooping them up themselves.

This year, organizers added the older age group, which had 34 kids in it. "We thought they were still kids, so we added them," said Peterson, who has helped coordinate the event for four years. The church joined forces with the Lions Club to put on the Easter egg hunt in 2017, though it was not held two years ago because of the pandemic. The Lions Club has been doing an egg hunt for more than 40 years, although they used to hold it at Fred Young Park. 

In all there were more than 260 children participating, double from the previous year. Children came from throughout Sanders County, along with some from Missoula, Kalispell and Idaho, visiting local relatives. The kids used all types of containers to hold their treasures. Afterward, many found a secluded spot to go empty the eggs of candy. Once they returned the egg shells, they could get in line to get a free toy, compliments of the Plains Lions Club. Erika Lawyer, owner of Mountain West Clothing in Plains, donated more than 70 items, from coloring books to a big stuffed unicorn for special drawings. First Security Bank once again donated two bikes. John MacNamara and Michaela Champneys, both of Plains, found the eggs with the bike notes inside.

Many of the kids were bundled up because of the weather, but there were still some showing off their Easter Day colors, along with some donning bunny ears, including adults, like Sarah Graham, whose 6-year-old son, Jeremiah, took part in the hunt for the first year. "Easter is my favorite holiday. My mom used to be the Easter Bunny when we lived in Northern California," said Graham, a Hot Springs resident.

No Easter egg event is complete without bunnies. Ginger and Josiah Nester had three baby rabbits on hand for people to hold. The 4-week old bunnies were grand babies of rabbits belonging to Whitney Tanner-Spurr, who had baby bunnies at the event last year. Hailee Steinebach, a Plains High School senior, walked the grounds in an Easter bunny suit, getting hugs during the event.

Anita Marsh, a member of the Lions Club, gave out balloons and activity packets on behalf of the local Head Start program, which is in its fourth year in Plains. Eunice Suess of Plains volunteered to hand out books, compliments of the nonprofit organization Hopa. More than 200 books from toddler to junior high aged kids were given away.

"It was fabulous. I think they had a great time," said Peterson. "The only thing that didn't cooperate was the weather and that didn't turn out too bad."