EGG HUNT DRAWS DOZENS

Kids collect thousands of Easter eggs, hundreds of prizes in Painesville

“It’s a way to give back and say thank you to all of our customers, bringing their kids (and) their grandkids in.” —Dennis Dempsey, owner of the Craft & Antique Co-op

A morning rain the day before Easter had stopped in time for dozens of kids to run through an open lawn in Painesville Township, collecting as many eggs as possible, as quickly as possible.

The Easter egg hunt, put on by the Craft & Antique Co-op, featured around 11,000 plastic eggs for kids to collect. Eggs were filled with candy and/or prize slips. According to owner Dennis Dempsey, around 600 prizes were lined up for kids to claim after the egg hunt. This included Easter baskets and 20 bicycles.

This year was the 16th year for the egg hunt. Dempsey mentioned that it has been going on for as long as the business has been open.

“It’s a ‘giving back to the community’ event for us,” he said,

mentioning that he had graduated from Riverside. “It’s a way to give back and say thank you to all of our customers, bringing their kids (and) their grandkids in.

“Now we’re starting to see our second generation of kids — that came in as kids that did the Easter egg hunt — are now bringing in their toddlers to the Easter egg hunt. It’s just rewarding to give back to the community.” Before the day of the egg hunt, Dempsey said that he was hoping for 450 to 500 kids to participate. Before the event, children and families could enjoy a free hot dog lunch donated by Dempsey Auctions and the Craft & Antique Co-op store was open for customers. For the first time this year, the Painesville Township Fire Department made an appearance with a ladder truck and other vehicles. Kids could take the opportunity to check out the vehicles and talk to firefighters.

At noon, a horn on the firetruck announced the start of the egg hunt. Kids, already lined up based on age group, rushed to collect as many eggs as quickly as they could. Afterward, they could open their eggs and collect their prizes accordingly.

Dempsey said that the event is free for people in the community.

“Without the community, I wouldn’t have a business,” he said. “So, I’m grateful for everything they do for us, and this is a way for me to show it.

“I inherited 300 to 500 kids every year now and to make them feel good, it’s very rewarding.”

TYLER RIGG — THE NEWS-HERALD Divided into age groups, kids rush to gather Easter eggs in an egg hunt put on by Craft & Antique Co-op in Painesville Township.