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Easter events decorate weekend in Craig

Nicole Inglis
Dalton Sherwood, 7, far right, reaches for an Easter egg during an Easter Sunday hunt at Sandrock Ridge Care & Rehab. About 100 children scampered around the grounds, filling their baskets with plastic, colored eggs.
Shawn McHugh

— Cassie Reed reached her blue-dyed fingers into her plastic shopping bag to show off her loot.

In the annual Craig Lions Club Easter egg hunt Saturday at City Park, the 8-year-old came away with what she called a good haul of pastel-wrapped candy.

“I like finding eggs and eating the candy,” Cassie said. “And, we dyed eggs earlier today. Mine were blue, periwinkle and a whole bunch of colors.”



A spring snow flurry had let up minutes before a barrier of yellow caution tape was lifted and about 200 children sprinted across the wet parking lot.

Children were separated by age group in the interest of fairness and safety, Lions Club member Al Shepherd said.



“I couldn’t believe how they cleaned it up,” Shepherd said about the egg hunt, which ended in about 2 1/2 minutes when all of the candy had been picked up off the ground. “Too bad we can’t get them to do that with trash.”

He said the event started about 40 years ago at the Moffat County Fairgrounds, and is intended to promote awareness of the Lions Club’s mission of providing vision screenings and glasses for the needy.

“It’s for the kids,” he said. “It’s a pleasure being a Lion and doing things like this.”

MJK chicken giveaway

On Saturday at MJK Sales & Feed, employees couldn’t go into the back room without their ears ringing with the chirps of 1,700 baby chickens.

The chicks, which were shi­pped from Ohio after hatching Thursday, were given away to community members starting at 8 a.m.

They were all gone by 1 p.m.

“I think it’s just that people can raise their own chickens and have those fresh eggs every day,” manager Blaine Kawcak said about the popular chick giveaway. “There were all kinds of people here. People drove from 100 miles away to get them.”

The chicks came in all colors, from brown and speckled to classic yellow, and Kawcak said they were a hit with young children.

“We’re just giving back to the community,” Kawcak said. “It’s a customer appreciation thing.”

Bunny appearance

Janelle Lira was proud of herself.

On Easter Sunday, she had not only searched and found a basket-full of plastic-colored eggs at Sandrock Ridge Care & Rehab, but she had met the Easter bunny without incident.

“I didn’t cry once today,” the 5-year old said. “I love him. I like his ears and nose.”

She even got to reach out and touch the costumed rabbit’s white fur.

“I feeled it,” she said as she opened a box of Nerds candy, spilling half and pouring the rest in her mouth.

The nursing home offered an afternoon egg hunt on its grounds as well as a chance to meet the Easter bunny in person.

About 100 children and their families mingled in the cafeteria and on the grounds of Sandrock Ridge on Sunday.

Event coordinator Mary Gillingham said the annual celebration was as much for the residents as it was for the community.

“It brings the community to the residents,” Gillingham said. “They want kids around. I like the kids and their happiness. And they must like it, too, because they keep coming back.”

For Justin Dunn, Janelle’s uncle, this wasn’t the only egg hunt he’d witness Sunday.

“We’ll be putting on egg hunts for them all day,” Dunn said. “It’s all about bringing family together.”


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