Big crowd turns out for egg hunt in Williamsport

April 03, 2010|By ALICIA NOTARIANNI

By Alicia Notarianni,

WILLIAMSPORT -- Pebbles Malloy noticed something different this year at the annual Williamsport Volunteer Fire and EMS Easter egg hunt.

"I only got three eggs. I usually get a lot more," she said. "I think there were more people this year."

Pebbles, 9, of Williamsport, was right.

"A lot more people showed up than anticipated," fire company president Jay Grimes said. "We had (3,000) eggs and they disappeared like BAM!"

Fire company member George Nichols, 72, of Williamsport, said he has been to most of the egg hunts in the event's 30-plus-year history.

"This is the biggest crowd I've ever seen here," Nichols said.

The hunt began Saturday at 10 a.m. at Byron Memorial Park. Event chairwoman Trina Zimmerman estimated that more than 300 children ages 12 and younger and more than a thousand people in all attended.

"It's a big family event," she said. "I'm sure the beautiful weather had a lot to do with the big turnout. It's just gorgeous today."

Leiters' Fine Catering prepared and donated the 3,000 hard-boiled, dyed eggs. The fire company provided prizes, including bicycles and cash, for children in each of three age groups who found plastic eggs.

Loretta Stone of Williamsport took her grandsons, Jesse and Cordell Corbin, both 5, to the hunt. She said they had been to one last week in Frederick, Md., and wanted to go to another.

"I'm gonna run fast," Jesse said. "I wanna get 40 eggs."

After hunts for all three age groups were finished, two prizes remained unclaimed. Grimes made an announcement, and the children set off running and hunting again for the undiscovered eggs.

Brianna Carbaugh, 10, of Williamsport, won a silver 26-inch Huffy Cranbrook. She had never been to the hunt before.

"I am really excited. I really had fun doing the egg hunt. This is pretty cool," Brianna said, grinning.

Larry Haines, 37, of Hagerstown, said his children, Ashley, 13, and Logan, 6, had a lot of fun.

"This is great. Logan got some eggs and a picture with the Easter bunny," Haines said. "It's a really nice day out here."

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