Little ones hunt for 7,000 Easter eggs at annual spring event

By Bill Hardesty | [email protected]

As a sign of spring and that life is returning to normal, South Salt Lake Parks and Recreation held the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Central Park Community Center on April 16.

“It is awesome to have people coming back,” Aaron Wiet, the city’s recreation director, said. “This is one of our bigger events.”

The police estimated between 500 to 850 people attended the event.

The Parks and Recreation staff divided the soccer field into areas based on age. A smaller area by the Head Start building was taped off for tots and children with special needs. With 30 minutes to go, Promise SSL staff, SSLFD, and SSLPD spread the eggs and candy in each large square. Kids started to encircle the square to watch and pick the perfect place to begin their hunt.

“We had about 7,000 Easter eggs and around 50 big bags of candy,” Wiet said.

With each minute, the anticipation increased. Finally, 10 a.m. arrived. Wiet counted down and blew the air horn. Without delay, children ran under the tape and started to collect eggs and candy. Some children were so successful that they had to empty their baskets at their parents’ feet and return for more.

By 10:05, it was all over. Children started to check the eggs for special tickets. Children could redeem the tickets for a backpack full of Easter art activities.

Tiny Tots Fair

Before the Easter Egg Hunt, a Tiny Tot Fair was held on the basketball court. Various profit and nonprofit groups provided information to parents and children.

Among the groups were:

·         Midtown Community Health Center (www.midtownchc.org/directory/listing/south-salt-lake-city) is at 2253 South State Street. They provide medical services from pediatrics to senior care. Their clients are “individuals and families who face barriers of geography, culture, language, and economic or insurance status.”

·         Vroom by Text (vroom.org) provides ways to make any moment a brain-building moment for children up to five years old. Every week, parents receive tips for themselves and their children specifically tailored to the child’s age. In addition, multiple children can be registered with a single phone number. The service is free.

·         Lakeshore (www.lakeshorelearning.com) sells educational items for teachers and parents. The Salt Lake store is at 5480 S. 900 East. They develop many of their products. Besides selling things, they offer over 1,000 free resources such as learning activities, worksheets, clip art and crafts.

·         Help Me Grow Utah (www.helpmegrowutah.org) is a statewide information and referral network available at no cost to families who are pregnant or have young children. Parents can get answers to pregnancy, child development, and parenting questions. They also provide screening services to understand developmental milestones and how a child is hitting them or not. They provide ways to discuss your child’s developmental delays with a medical professional.

·         Children’s Service Society of Utah (cssutah.org) has been the oldest nonprofit caring for children and families since 1884. CSS “empowers families, caregivers, and professionals through services, supporting the safety and well-being of children.” CSS provides home visits to low-income and high-risk families with children 0-6.

·         Utah Community Action (www.utahca.org/head-start) provides Head Start programs to children 0-5 broken into Head Start (ages 3-5) and Early Head Start (0-3). They have a Head Start program at Central Park. All programs are free and “provide high-quality education, healthy meals, medical and dental screenings, and holistic support for the whole family.” Head Start is one of several programs conducted by UCA.

·         Promise SSL shared information about its many programs, including early childhood support and family advocate services.

SSL Animal Services brought two live rabbits to the event, and two princesses and the Easter Bunny were available for photos by Sports Imaging Photography.