A mad dash to the finish

Eggs of every color imaginable dotted the playground of the school in Paradise and the Fred Young Park in Plains, awaiting the arrival of children tasked with their retrieval.

With parents on the sidelines, cameras in hand, kids ranging in ages from one to 13 were decked out in colorful and festive outfits awaited the signal to begin the mission in Paradise. As for the Plains Easter egg hunt, put on by the Plains Lions Club, ages ranged from one year of age to eight years of age.

After the word was given, the hunt was on and about 50 children rushed the field in search of oval-shaped treasure.

With each location sectioned off by age to ensure a level playing field, the search for eggs commenced. One and two year olds gathered eggs among a few modest obstacles with enthusiastic encouragement and limited assistance from parents.

The older participants dealt with more advanced barriers and a hilly terrain on the north edge of the Paradise playground, while in Plains the kids competed in a full-out sprint for the reward of collecting as many eggs as their baskets would allow. Prizes ranging from candy to stuffed bunnies awaited all contestants as the hunt came to an end. After all eggs were accounted for, hunters gathered for pictures with their bounty providing a multi-hued display of flowers, baskets, shiny eggs and outfits for the cameras.

Prizes for the most eggs collected in Paradise went to: in the one year to two year old category, Braiden Felix, Kingston Nyomo, Mckenzie Rich and Cooper Spur. In the three year old to kindergarten category: Tyson Felix, Julian Nickel, Jonny Felix, ElisabethWeedeman and McKenzie McCollum.

In the first through third grade category: Brant Snead, Jack McAllister, Holly Stratford and Piper Stephens. In the fourth through sixth grade category, prizes went to: Hunter Rich, Mason Stephens, Lydia French and Chloe French. In the seventh through eighth grade category: Daniel Uli, Abram French, Kara Altmiller and Sophie Brown.

In Plains, the four children from each age group who found the special black “prize” egg were awarded plush Easter bunnies. The winners of the stuffed animal were: Emery Josephson, Wyatt Josephson, Maddy Blood, and Kallen Burrows.