‘We love spreading the joy’

Mom uses yearly egg hunt to lift spirits at Easter

Cloris Hopkins’ living room is an Easter egg hunt command center. Baskets and bags of pastel Easter eggs, along with other decorations, cover her table and are stashed in corners.

“We’ve been filling the eggs, and they are all over the living room,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins has organized the Family and Friends EggStravaganza at King Park in Wake Village, Texas, for six years. The event is open to all area children.

This year’s event will start at 11 a.m. Saturday. A lunch of hot dogs, chips and a drink will be provided.

The idea came to Hopkins several years ago when she met a family with young children attending the local Church Under the Bridge service. She reflected on how hard it is for families to celebrate holidays when they are in dire circumstances, and wanted to do something for the community.

“I told my son I wanted to do something. I wanted to do a community event open to all children,” she said. “I bought a lot of eggs, about 600, and prizes and we started going to the park every year for an Easter egg hunt.”

The event has grown. She now hides about 800 eggs every year, and each has a small prize, candy or a little bit of money in them.

There will be two egg hunts this year: Baby Bunnies for children 5 and younger and another for all other children.

The children also play games for prizes. There will be sack races, an egg race, a threelegged race and tug-of-war over an imaginary pond with an alligator in it.

Hopkins’ son, Troy, will sit in the dunking booth, and a bounce house is planned.

Hopkins will don a costume for an appearance as the Easter Bunny. The children also receive gift bags.

“We buy things all year long to get ready. We encourage everyone to come. We don’t have to know you,” she said.

Hopkins stays busy. She works two nursing jobs and is in school to become a registered nurse. But she said the Easter EggStravaganza is worth her time and effort.

“I just love throwing parties for people,” she said. “We love spreading the joy.”

Staff photo by Lori Dunn ■ Cloris Hopkins, left, her son, Troy Hopkins, and mother, Melba Hopkins, prepare eggs for the Family and Friends EggStravaganza on Saturday at King Park in Wake Village, Texas. Hopkins has organized the annual event for six years.

Submitted photo ■ Cloris Hopkins, center, participates in a children’s game during last year’s Family and Friends EggStravaganza at King Park.