UNION, NJ — The weather outside was nasty but the heavy rain didn’t stop Union Township’s third annual Easter Egg Hunt from happening.
The event recently took place at Hannah Caldwell Elementary School, Union. It was originally planned to take place at Rabkin Field, but due to the bad weather, the event was moved indoors. It was certainly a déjà vu moment, as the same thing occurred the year before.
Mayor Manuel Figueiredo said, “For the second year in a row, Mother Nature has forced us indoors, but our community still made it out to celebrate spring. I’m glad to see hundreds of children here enjoying themselves and having fun.”
Approximately 450 children and their parents showed up throughout the day. The event was open to all Union residents and attendance times were staggered for a sensory-friendly group, toddlers, ages 5 and younger, and ages 6 and older. Children were encouraged to bring their Easter baskets. There was a photo booth, giveaways and prizes. And, of course, there was a visit from the Easter Bunny as well.
Eggs weren’t hidden, but rather spread across the school gym, making them easier for the young ones to find. The eggs were ordered from a company called Sunny Bunny — a job placement program for adults with special needs, providing meaningful employment since 1966. Sunny Bunny offers plastic Easter eggs that could be purchased in bulk. Their eggs are specially engineered to be easy-to-assemble, allowing nearly anyone, regardless of their ability, to construct or open the eggs.
The sensory-friendly group included larger and faceted eggs that were filled with silicone wristbands to provide the children with a tactile toy inside.
The infant/toddler age group featured empty eggs so parents wouldn’t need to worry about choking hazards for their young children.
The 6 and up age group was the largest group with about 250 children total.
“The group was so large, we had to run a second egg hunt for them,” said Robert Cowper, superintendent of recreation.
More than 17,000 eggs were collected throughout the day. All children received chocolate bunnies and other prizes. Some won baskets and even bicycles.
The DJ played a mix of children’s party favorites and Top 40 hits.
About 20 volunteers from Union High School’s National Honor Society helped out, with the direction of adviser Joe Daly.
“We’re grateful so many families attended our annual Easter Egg Hunt,” Cowper said. “The event wouldn’t be possible without the coordination of all the township departments, including Recreation, Administration, DPW, Police, Fire, EMU, Public Information and UnionTV.”
To learn more about Union Township, visit: https://www.uniontownship.com/ or for more information, call 908-686-4200.
Photo Courtesy of Robert Cowper, Superintendent of Recreation