MARLBOROUGH – It took less than two minutes for 22,000 eggs to be collected.
On March 30, Marlborough’s Fraternal Order of Eagles held the annual egg hunt at Ward Park. The event, which drew eager children from across the city, has been held by the Eagles for well over three decades.
“It’s like locusts. You just watch the kids here and they go ‘whoop’ all the way across the field. We’ll see 22,000 eggs gone almost instantly,” event organizer and Eagles member Steve Kerrigan told the Community Advocate.
To get ready for the event, the Eagles spent several hours on March 28 stuffing the eggs with 50,000 pieces – roughly $6,000 worth – of candy. On the day of the event, an army of volunteers distributed the eggs evenly throughout the field, ensuring each one of the hundreds of basket-toting children could grab some of the brightly colored tokens of Easter.
Some of the green eggs – filled by Eagle Kevin Snook – included money. He’s done it every year for the last 25 years, and hopes that the children are surprised by the additional present in the egg.
“It’s for the kids. Charity. For the kids… It makes it more fun for the kids,” Snook said.
As if the eggs weren’t enough, the Easter Bunny made an appearance and Juniper Farms Ice Cream Truck donated hundreds of sweet treats for children to enjoy. The weather held up perfectly.
“We’ve been serving our community since 1974. That’s what we’re all about. The Fraternal Order of Eagles is all about raising money for charity. I joke that this is one of the worst days of my life [filling the eggs], but it’s a lot of fun. It’s nice at the end of the day, to see the kids running around and having fun,” said Kerrigan.
