SHREWSBURY – After sunset on April 7, families gathered at Dean Park to participate in the Shrewsbury Parks and Recreation Department’s Flashlight Egg Hunt. Participants turned on their flashlights to find hundreds of colorful eggs scattered throughout the upper field.
The event was like a scavenger hunt. Children were given checklists with four symbols – unicorns or ice cream, for example – that they had to find on the eggs. Once all four symbols had been found, participants could trade the checklist in for a goodie bag filled with Easter-related prizes, including slap bracelets and bunny ears.
With nearly 150 children participating and numerous parents tagging along for moral support, people scrambled to be the first to complete the egg hunt.
The Easter Bunny was also available throughout the night for photo opportunities.
Shrewsbury Director of Recreation Laurel Rossiter – just three months into her new position – brought the egg hunt outside this year.
“It’s my understanding that [Shrewsbury] has had an egg hunt for many years,” she said. “It’s had different forms – it has been in gyms, it has been in fields – this year, we’re outside.”
Rossiter hoped that the event would become a lasting memory for many of the families.
“I hope they have fun. It’s a good memory and hopefully a tradition for years to come for their families,” she said.
Lisa Sundeen, a parks and recreation staff member who helped Rossiter organize the event, told the Community Advocate she was glad to see kids enjoying time outside.
“I just hope they have fun [and] get out and get some fresh air,” she said. “It’s a good time of year. I feel like the egg hunt is a sign of the good weather.”
Both children and parents laughed and smiled throughout the event – it was an egg-citing start to Easter weekend.
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