The race for bountiful baskets brimming with colorful eggs was on at 1 pm Saturday, March 27th.  St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

Pat Dearing, Neil McDonald, Eliseo Delia, Rev. Ron Wikander, Roger Johnson, and Tony McConnell of St. Luke’s Men’s Group led many of the logistics.

The church, along with Blue Ridge Kiwanis, Blue Ridge Walmart and an Anonymous Donor work together to help the Easter Bunny gather and place the eggs for the event.  The Anonymous Donor has been hiding on the sidelines for several years chuckling at the cuteness that comes roaring down the slope in search of Easter goodies.  Rev. Ron Wikander of St. Luke’s is grateful to hold the annual event at the church.  He says, “The Easter egg hunt brings the community to a church property to celebrate together.  It helps keep in people’s hearts and minds that Christ has risen.”

The Jones Family: Matt, Samuel, Joshua, Amelia, Quinton and Tasha.

This is the second year that Tasha Jones, pre-K teacher at Mineral Bluff, has come to the Easter Egg hunt with her family of four small children.  She is thankful that Blue Ridge community always has wonderful things for children.  At Easter, it is wonderful to see the delight when they hunt for little colorful eggs.

Trina, Mason and Dameon Pope.

It was the Pope family’s first Easter Egg hunt for Mason, almost two.  Father, Dameon Pope, admitted that he was more excited at watching his son at his first egg hunt.  He is relieved that St. Luke’s divides the Happy Egg Hunting Grounds by age group: babies, toddlers, four through eight, etc. This way, Mr. Pope doesn’t have to worry about Mason getting caught in the melee of kids rushing down the hill.

The hunt takes 2,000 eggs and 16 volunteers two hours to place the eggs.  St. Luke volunteers also staff the prize room where kids with eggs marked “p” can claim prizes.  They also offer sweet snacks to parents who want a place to sit after chasing numerous siblings around the church.