FC hosts three Easter Egg Hunts
It is officially springtime in the Northern Hemisphere; warmer temperatures are becoming more frequent, and so are talks of bunnies and candy-filled eggs as the widely-celebrated Easter holiday approaches. Franklin County is once again recognizing this holiday with three Easter egg hunts March 24.
This year the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce has arranged the Russellville, Phil Campbell and Red Bay egg hunts to take place the same day. The first egg hunt will be at 10 a.m. at Eastside Park in Russellville. Phil Campbell’s egg hunt will start at 12:30 p.m. at Memorial Park. The last egg hunt of the day will be in Red Bay at 3 p.m. at Bay Tree Park.
“Each location has its own qualities that make it great,” said chamber director Cassie Medley.
Last year was the first for Phil Campbell to host an egg hunt, and Medley said it was a great success.
“There was a huge response in Phil Campbell last year – almost as many participants as Russellville,” Medley said.
Last year 120 children participated in Russellville’s hunt, 86 in Red Bay’s hunt and 107 in Phil Campbell’s hunt.
The events will be held in the same fashion as previous years, Medley said. About 1,000 eggs will be hidden at each location. Each hunt will contain 50 eggs that will have monetary prizes, and the rest of the eggs will hold candy. There will also be drawings for Easter baskets and bicycles.
“The bicycles are donated by local businesses, and we’re grateful for their contributions. We are still accepting bicycles, but we need to have them in by Friday (March 23),” Medley said.
Medley said donating the bicycles gives local businesses a way to give back to the community. For last year’s egg hunts, 18 bicycles were donated.
Medley encouraged participants to arrive at the egg hunts either a little early or right on time because they will start promptly, and participants will need to factor in time to get their tickets upon arrival so they can be entered into the drawings for the bicycles and baskets.
“This is something that families can do for free, and it entertains the kids,” Medley said. There’s another benefit to the egg hunts, as well: “Even at a young age, you want them to see what the Chamber does.”
Participating children will need to bring their own basket or bag in which to place their collected eggs. The egg hunts are designed for children in the fifth grade and below, and each location will have different sections for the different age groups.