By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — Several hundred children participated in the annual City of Olean Easter Egg Hunt at War Veterans Park Saturday morning.
It was cloudy and 55 degrees. Most importantly, it wasn’t raining. At 11 a.m., the countdown began: “Five, four, three, two, one. Go.”
At that, the kids dove into the straw to pick up colorful plastic eggs with prizes inside. Piles of straw were spread out on the blacktoped basketball courts outside the William O. Smith Recreation Center. It kept the kids off the wet, muddy grass in the park.
The Easter Bunny was a big hit at the annual City of Olean Easter Egg Hunt at War Veterans Park Saturday. Parents not only got photos of their children and the Easter Bunny, but some posed with their children as well.
A parent timed the carnage at one of the straw-covered egg-strewn patches. From the word “Go,” it took about 20 seconds for kids to pick up all the eggs. It was pretty much the same at each one of the patches for kids ages 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 and 8-9.
Parents snapped photos of their kids with their cellphones.
The first 400 kids got gift bags from sponsors including Walmart, Burger King, McDonald’s and CESE Local 6202.
A woman taken a photo as girls count the eggs they found at the annual City of Olean Easter Egg Hunt Saturday at War Veterans Park.
Other co-sponsors were the Olean Youth Bureau, City Firefighters Local 1796 and the Olean Police Department.
After the kids collected as many eggs as they could, many sat down and looked over their haul.
The Easter Bunny was busy after the egg hunt posing for photos with many of the younger kids. Families lined up for the chance to get a photo with the Easter Bunny.
Volunteers raked up the straw to clean up the basketball courts — like it never happened.
