No ordinary egg hunt in Geneva

Marklund at Mill Creek in Geneva had the perfect place for its first Easter egg hunt: indoors.

Rather than making a mad dash for the Easter eggs and then heading to the car, adults and children were able to enjoy Saturday morning's festivities in comfort, despite weather that made it seem more like Christmas. The sky was cloudy and temperatures were in the mid-30s.

More than 60 children were registered by 10 a.m. for the event, which included photos with the Easter Bunny, crafts and even breakfast. An egg hunt capped the morning.

Guests were able to tour the Marklund Geneva campus, which has a learning center and six 16-bed homes for adults with severe physical and developmental disabilities.

"I got a card in the mail and I thought 'Why not?' We have enjoyed other events here," said Beverly Carina of Batavia. She was with her husband Don, their son Nicholas, 3, and other family members.

"We thought it would be a nice place to come for an Easter egg hunt," Carina said.

Candy and Mark Bradford of Aurora brought their four young sons after hearing about the event from friends whose son is a resident.

"It's a good way to reach out to the community," Candy Bradford said.

Families with relatives who receive care at Marklund also were present.

Beth Lederer of Geneva was visiting her brother, Andrew. Sue Zartler of Northfield, who was there to see her daughter, Jennie, stopped to have Jennie and Andrew pose with the Easter Bunny.

"I'm glad this was open to the public, and there are so many people here," Zartler said. "This is a super place. They're very helpful here."

The event wasn't a fundraiser, but donations were accepted to offset expenses.

Development Director Stevie Armbruster said the event was an opportunity to host neighbors from the surrounding community and maintain a good relationship.

Linda Biesecker, president of the Mothers Club of Geneva, was on hand to help with other club members. The club provided assistance during other events at the Marklund campus.

"We thought helping here would be a good fit," Biesecker said. "We're thrilled with the turnout. We have more people here than we expected."

For information, visit www.marklund.org.