Youngsters scoop up 15,000 eggs in Naperville hunt

By 9 a.m. Saturday, somewhere around 3,500 basket-toting youngsters are lined up at the edges of the ball fields at Naperville's Frontier Park.

To look at them - antsy with excitement and anticipation - you'd think they'd already eaten more than their share of Easter candy.

But when the starter sounds the horn signaling go-time, these kids channel their energy like finely trained athletes. They sprint off the starting line and fan out over the outfields, each employing a personal strategy to make the most of the Naperville Jaycees' annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Some grab the closet eggs and try to fill their baskets as they work their way out. Some dash out and lay claim to a little territory they can mine for treasure-filled eggs. Little ones take a bit of direction from their parents while the 8-year-old hunt veterans need no prompting at all.

Saturday was the Jaycees' 34th annual egg hunt. Beforehand, Jaycees and volunteers from several other organizations had spent hours upon hours stuffing brightly colored plastic eggs, and event organizers spent another hour and a half Saturday scattering the eggs across Frontier's fields.

With all that experience and despite the lengthy preparation, the Jaycees knew one thing for certain: Even with 15,000 eggs, it wouldn't last long.

"It takes an hour to an hour and a half to set up and they're gone in about 15 minutes," Jaycees board Chairman Chad Pedigo said as the group prepared.

So only a few moments had passed from the sound of the starter's horn until children were sitting in the grass counting their eggs and cracking them open to discover the prizes and candy hidden inside. They posed for pictures with their brimming baskets and some even took photos with the Easter Bunny, who had stopped by to take in the action.