Salt Lake Community College’s Children’s Easter Egg Hunt was held Saturday April 19, at 10 a.m. on the quad of the Taylorsville Redwood Campus.
After posing for pictures with the Easter bunny, children lined up along the edge of the field, baskets in hand, awaiting the sound of a siren for the scavenge to begin.
A yearly endeavor hosted by volunteers from SLCC Student Life and Leadership, this Easter egg hunt is a long standing SLCC tradition, drawing in over 100 families including approximately 350 kids from the Salt Lake area.
“I don’t know how long for sure, it’s been going on for 10, possibly 20 years,” says Brandi Mair, Student Life and Leadership Coordinator. “It’s been well before my time here.”
The egg hunt gives students an opportunity to provide service to the community and have fun at the same time. It also gives students who have children another fun activity to look forward to each April.
The egg hunt was divided into four age groups and lasted for just a few minutes as children up to 12 years old made a dash for plastic eggs filled with candy, stuffed Easter bunnies, bottles of bubble blow, and hopefully a golden egg that would get them the big prize, while volunteers on the field oversaw and helped out if necessary.
“I think it’s more organized than other egg hunts we have gone to,” says Aubrey Willey, a second year nursing student at SLCC. “There is a smaller crowd so you don’t have to worry so much about the kids getting trampled.”
There is also a big prize for one child in each age group who finds a golden egg. The Willey family looks forward to attending the egg hunt every year, and the children get especially excited about the possibility of finding that special egg.
“Last year there was a big basket with a big bunny in it and a bunch of toys and chocolate,” says Isabella Willey, Aubry Willey’s oldest daughter.
Her youngest was just excited to be there and see the Easter bunny, who was available for photos in the center of the quad during the event.
“The Easter Bunny is big. Giant!” says 3-year-old Charlie Robinson, Willey’s youngest child. “Let’s go! Get the eggs!”
Activities like the Children’s Easter Egg Hunt are only one of the great reasons to get involved with Student Life and Leadership, along with the chance to earn the SLCC Presidential Scholarship which provides a tuition waiver and a $200 annual book allowance.
Students who carry at least 12 semester hours, participate in service involvement, and who spend at least 10 hours a week working in the Student Life and Leadership office can qualify for the Presidential Scholarship, but for many volunteers, the service is also its own reward.
Volunteers look forward to helping with the egg hunt each year because they have a great time providing a service for the families who come, and it is rewarding to watch the children enjoying the activities.
“It’s a lot of fun,” says student volunteer Summer Finkelstein, “I do it for the kids, definitely.”
According to the Student Life and Leadership website, training and activities begin in June, and continue throughout the year. Students wishing to become involved can stop by one of the Student Life and Leadership offices located on either of the SLCC campuses and ask about becoming involved in student government.
“We are actually looking for people right now,” says Carlos Artiles, Student Body Executive Vice President. “If you stop by any of our offices and say you want to be involved we’ll help you.”
Photos by Anji Sandage
