The Great Self-Guided Egg Hunt is underway
The City of St. Marys Parks and Recreation Department’s Great Self-Guided Egg Hunt is officially underway, with community members interested in participating tasked with locating the nine eggs printed on weatherproof corrugated plastic that are hidden between Benzinger and Memorial Parks. Each egg contains a word, and once all nine eggs are found, those words will form a riddle. Participants who submit the answer to that riddle using the official form will be entered to win prizes.
The number of eggs hidden between the parks will change each week, with community members having three chances to find them all, solve a riddle, and enter.
The eggs containing this week’s riddle have been in place since Saturday, with four located at Benzinger Park and five at Memorial Park. Those interested in participating will have until March 25 to locate them all to solve the riddle and enter.
From March 26 until April 6, six eggs forming a new riddle will be hidden between the parks, with three located at each.
The final week of the contest will run from April 2-8 with seven eggs forming a riddle hidden between the parks, with four at Benzinger and three at Memorial.
According to City of St. Marys Parks and Recreation Department Director Danielle Schneider, The Great Self-Guided Egg Hunt is taking the place of the actual Egg Hunt this year.
Designed to give families a fun activity to do together, Schneider indicated that the initial response to the idea has been positive.
“It seemed to go over well after I posted it on Facebook. There were a lot of positive comments,” Schneider said.
Signs explaining the basics of each contest, including reminding participants how many eggs are hidden at each location, are in place at both parks. The signs also contain a QR code for individuals to enter their answer to the riddle once they find all of the eggs.
Schneider indicated that the contest is meant to be a true hunt and the eggs are placed “literally all over” at the parks.
“This first round
I placed in between things,” Schneider said. “The ones at Benzinger are not in one general area of the park. They will definitely need to be hunted for.”
That being said, Schneider added that all of the eggs are placed in locations where they are within a child’s reach.
“They may need to go on a playground, but never inside a building, locked or gated area, in the pool, or anywhere dangerous,” Schneider said.
Anyone finding any of the eggs – whether they are participating in the hunt or utilizing the park for other purposes – is asked to leave them where they are.
“Please leave the eggs where you found them – unless they do not necessarily look like they are hidden (laying in the middle of the grass),” Schneider said. “Please contact us if you think where you found the egg isn’t correct.”
In the event that someone is really struggling to locate an egg, they can contact Schneider to make sure it has not inadvertently been removed.
“I marked down where each one is hidden and can easily find them to replace if one has gone missing or been moved,” Schneider said.
Schneider plans to change out the eggs and where they are hidden each Sunday. The City of St. Marys Parks and Recreation Facebook page will be updated once all of the eggs are rehidden and community members are able to go search for the words to a new riddle.
Those who participate and correctly solve the riddle will be entered into a drawing to win a family-oriented Easter basket.
“They will be given out at the beginning of the next week’s hunt,” Schneider said of the baskets.
Schneider also expressed her gratitude to the sponsors who have made The Great Self-Guided Egg Hunt possible.
Additional information on the hunt, as well as updates on when the eggs containing a new riddle are in place, can be found on the City of St. Marys Parks and Recreation Facebook page.