Easter egg hunt attracts crowd to Fred Meyer

WASILLA — Kids by the hundreds poured into Fred Meyer Saturday ready for a hunt.

A basket and a smile were all the license required for the annual Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman-sponsored Easter Egg Hunt.

The annual Fred Meyer Easter Egg Hunt saw more than 300 2- to 10-year olds from around the Mat-Su Valley file into the Fred Meyer storage area, all waiting a chance to plow through the yellow, blue and pink grass.

Hidden beneath the mounds was a stockpile of 3,000 candy-filled eggs waiting to be scooped up and taken away.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., waves of children arrived to fill their baskets, bags and buckets with the brightly colored goodies while parents assisted.

First up were the toddlers. With moms and dads in tow, screeching tots dashed through the grassy heaps, seeking a glimmer of hard plastic filled with candy and prizes. Parents looked on in anticipation, pointing, directing and cheering them on, some even jumping in to assist the young ones in their efforts. Parents and kids were looking for more than any egg, but what was on the egg.

Some 250 of the colorful eggs had stickers pronouncing a prize had come with their discovery. Kids with sticker eggs won additional prizes, including stuffed bunnies of all sizes, Play-Doh, card games, bubbles, Silly Putty, water squirters, paddle balls, glowing bracelets and the best prizes of all — one of four BMX bicycles.

“She just likes finding the eggs,” said Sarah Schock, watching her 22-month-old daughter Allie scoop up another pink plastic egg. “We wanted to do something that she’s never done before, and she’s definitely loving this.”

Kids had to be choosers and not beggers during the Easter egg hunt as each child was allowed a maximum of five eggs, giving everyone a fair chance to walk away with ample sweets and treats.

Waiting patiently in line for the 4- to 6-year old leg of the hunt to begin, Briar Hahn, 5, eyed up his competition.

“I’m going to find lots of eggs,” Hahn proclaimed to his brother behind him.

The Goose Bay Elementary School student came an 90 minutes early to get first dibs at the rainbow haystack awaiting behind the ropes.

Out in the Fred Meyer shopping area next to the glassware and pottery aisle sat the 6-foot Easter Bunny, getting his picture taken with delighted, and at times the not-so-delighted, children.

Photographs were sold at $5 with proceeds donated to the American Cancer Society.

Contact J.J. Harrier at valleylife@frontiersman.com, or 352-2269.