Easter Egg hunters pack Naperville park
Any good Easter egg hunter knows you have to have a strategy when you're up against hundreds of other children.
As an experienced egg seeker, Rose Druce-Hoffman, 8, of Naperville, had just such a game plan worked out before the 28th annual Naperville Jaycees' Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday morning.
"My dad always tells me to go to the back of the field because most kids always go to the front of the field," she said.
The strategy worked as she managed to scoop up quite a few of the plastic eggs with goodies inside while dodging raindrops and other children.
Hundreds of families armed with umbrellas and Easter baskets gathered at Frontier Park Saturday morning for the hunt. With the help of Hobby Lobby and a handful of volunteers, the Jaycees had stuffed 15,000 plastic eggs with stickers and candy and scattered them across four softball fields.
"We've seen kids start at the 1 to 2 age group and are now 7 to 8 so it's always been a Naperville tradition," said event chair Laura Beatty.
Julie and Mike Boubal of Naperville showed up early Saturday with young sons Nathan and Ethan decked out in yellow rain coats. Julie said the boys like the excitement of the event, although last year they made a few rookie mistakes - showing up too close to start time and not expecting the startling noise of the sirens that kick off the hunt.
"It was pretty loud and pretty crowded last year, so I think they were a little overwhelmed," Mike said as the family prepared for action. "This year I think they're a little more well versed in Easter egg hunts."
The Easter Bunny also made an appearance to visit with children and cheer them on, a big draw for the Wood family of Aurora.
"Our four-year-old would never have let us live it down," Stefanie Wood said. "We love the Easter Bunny."
Her daughter, Sofia, was ready for the festivities in her pink rain coat and matching pink basket. As any good big sister would, she proudly held onto a second basket for sister Naomi, 1.
When the sirens sounded, children bolted onto the fields to collect their wares. Veteran hunter Alex Carey, 8, returned to her parents Bob and Cheryl just minutes later with a nearly full basket. The family has been to at least the last five Easter egg hunts.
"Now we look for a little girl with three in her basket crying and Alex always gives them some of her candy," Bob said. "Might as well share."
Other egg enthusiasts were sharing on Saturday too, bringing nonperishable food items for the Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry in Naperville. Last year the Jaycees collected about 1,000 pounds of food at the event.