Easter egg hunt benefits nonprofit, local animal shelter
SEELEY — Hunting eggs, great fun for children yet a good reminder of Christianity’s most important holiday was a grand way to get families together at the third annual Easter Egg Hunt at Sunbeam Lake on Saturday.
Organized by Heather White, founder of Cody’s Closet, the egg hunt benefits Dee’s Rescue, an El Centro-based pet service and animal shelter. Cody’s Closet is a nonprofit distributing second-hand clothing across the county. Along with cash donations the event collected dog and cat food, pet blankets and toys. There was also a $1 raffle ticket for three gift baskets, Easter candy, stuffed animals and also $25 gift cards. All proceeds go to Dee’s Rescue.
“This is our third event, and after the other two people said, my kids wouldn’t have had an Easter egg hunt if it wasn’t for Cody’s Closet,” recalled White.
Laura Renn, who volunteered to “plant” the Easter eggs has two granddaughters who would have loved it but had prior commitments she noted. “It’s a family thing (son Ryan is engaged to Brittany White, Heather’s daughter) and I’m here for the other kids,” she said. “I think it’s great because I don’t know if kids in other towns are having an egg hunt.”
In addition to the egg hunt children were able to do arts and crafts, decorate cookies, make their own necklaces, pin the tail on the rabbit and for those who gathered eggs marked with an S or O, win all sorts of prizes.
Diane Lemon, who arrived from Calexico, confided she was, “dragged out” for the egg drop, being Heather White’s mother, and Heather likes to make all her civic engagement a family affair.
“I like helping out all the kids and this is great fun,” she said. “It seems strange a rabbit would hide their eggs,” she said. “Why don’t chickens hide their eggs?”
Helping her three-yearold son Ayden use a cookie cutter was Vanessa Young, who was at their first egg hunt together and thought the Sunbeam Lake playground was “a pretty cool” venue. “I really like the location they’re doing this in,” she said. “My son is really enjoying himself.”
Absorbed in coloring “funny rabbit ears” was kindergartener Javier Medina, under the watchful eye and guiding hand of his mother, Maria. “This is our first time here,” she said “We’re enjoying this because we didn’t know about this last year. But it really gets the family together.”
Having been alerted to the egg hunt on Cody’s Closet’s Facebook page, Lupita Orta was with her children Alexis Colio, and Jaciel Orta both waiting patiently with baskets until the egg hunt began. “It’s good for the community to have events like this,” said Lupita.
And straight out of the animated screen of the latest Disney studio production (live in character) was the protagonist “Moana” the adventurous teenage Polynesian queen. Raquel Renteria thrilled to get photos of her daughter Aaliyah, 3 years-old, with the rebellious daughter of the trial chief. “It’s a great event for families to have fun,” said Raquel. “We’re loving this.”