Candidates use community donations to fund Easter egg hunt in Antioch

Antioch's annual Easter egg hunt, which had been a casualty of village budget cuts, has been revived in an unusual circumstance.

Instead of little ones scurrying around a village facility to find the coveted eggs, the long-standing event will move to an Antioch Township park and is sponsored by two village trustee candidates, one of whom voted last December to cancel the event.

Challenger Ed Macek and incumbent Jay Jozwiak have pooled $6,000 in donations for the hunt to be held from 10 a.m. until noon April 4 at Osmond Park. But an accompanying parade will not take place.

Jozwiak joined fellow incumbents Dennis Crosby and Mary Dominiak, who are running for re-election, in a 5-1 approval of a package of budget adjustments for the current fiscal year. The cuts were made after voters in November defeated a request to establish a new tax to fund ambulance service.

"I supported doing that," Jozwiak said. "It was based on monetary issues."

The decision was posted on the village Facebook page and drew an immediate response.

"There was an outrcying of kids being upset. It was horrible," said Macek, who is making his first run for public office.

Macek said a "family-oriented citizen" approached him with a donation to his campaign with instructions to use it to save the Easter egg hunt. Jozwiak said he independently made calls and learned Macek was involved in an effort.

"We decided to pool our resources," Jozwiak said. "I was actually shocked by the amount of fundraising that was happening so quick."

The pair said they went to an informal work session of the village board and wanted to present a check for $6,000. Macek said they were told because the event had been canceled there wasn't enough time to reschedule because of the logistics involved, such as vendors.

"We contacted the township," he said.

Jozwiak said he contacted the state Board of Elections and was told to claim the donations. So, the hunt will be funded by the pair's campaign committees, he said.

"This is not a campaign issue. I don't want it to be political," Jozwiak said.

"It would have been a lot easier if the board would have taken the money," Macek added. "Instead of knocking on doors, I'm stuffing eggs." Volunteers on Saturday and Monday are scheduled to stuff 7,000 plastic eggs with candy.

The effort, which is spearheaded by Jozwiak's wife, Robin, is for the enjoyment of kids, both candidates said.

"I didn't write a check for $6,000. Let me be clear," Jozwiak said. "The community came out and gave us the money. I'm still receiving it."

Crosby said he was "really happy" there's going to be an egg hunt and added perhaps the board as a whole should have made a public plea to fund the event. He also said he wished community interests had reached out to the village earlier.

"The unpopularity of canceling something like this was not lost on us," he said. "When you scrounge around looking for every last penny (to save) you have to look at stuff like this. Life-safety is more important than a parade."

Dominiak could not be reached for comment.