Ready, Set, Egg Hunt At South Windsor High School

Note: this story was written by Eliza Blanchfield, a freshman at South Windsor High School who works on the student newspaper, the Bobcat Prowl.

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — Hundreds of families took part in the annual egg hunt at South Windsor High School’s stadium on April 7. For the past 38 years, the community has gathered together each year to share the joy of the Easter holiday and kick off the spring season.

Volunteers arrived early and scattered plastic eggs throughout the athletic field. At 10 o’clock, a South Windsor Parks and Recreation staff member initiated a countdown, and the egg scramble began. Throughout the morning, children 1 to 7 flooded the field and filled their baskets with colorful eggs. A DJ kept the fun alive during the transitions, filling the area with kid-friendly music.

The egg hunt has a greater significance for the South Windsor community than hunting for eggs.

"This is the 38th annual egg hunt so it’s actually a tradition in the community, which is really special, it’s multi-generational," Parks and Rec professional and egg hunt manager Shauna Damon said. "There’s a lot of different significances - it’s a religious weekend which is nice, but honestly, on our end, we’re focused on bringing people together."

Preparations started early for the egg hunt.

"I ordered the eggs back before the new year, in December, Damon said. "We really start planning that far in advance. I have a timeline that I follow, and it really starts as soon as the eggs are purchased.".

Booking the DJ, making flyers and advertising in any way possible are a few of the many tasks on Damon’s plate. However, the reward was immense for the community, as well as the Parks and Rec workers.

"For me to see all of this come together so well, to see South Windsor come out, at least a thousand people for each age group, it’s amazing," Damon said.

The South Windsor Teen Center hosted a bake sale fundraising for future events. Many clubs and programs attended the event, providing entertainment for children of all ages. The South Windsor Community Women’s Club hosted a Kid’s Fair from 10 a.m. to noon, offering games and prizes for children of all ages in exchange for non-perishable food items to be donated to the South Windsor Food & Fuel Bank.

The appearances of these organizations added to the element that the egg hunt offered.

"Coordinating with the women’s club and teen center, it’s a lot of moving parts to make it a success," Damon explained.

Although this was not the first egg hunt hosted by South Windsor Parks and Recreation, it was certainly memorable.

"This is my first time managing the egg hunt and it has been awesome, one of the best egg hunts that I’ve been a part of," Damon said.