Who’s ready hunt for some Easter Eggs?
The Ohio Valley Easter Egg Hunt is set for Saturday, April 9 at Red Devil Stadium in St. Clairsville and, judging by the number of participants already signed up, there answer is a whole lot of you.
More than 400 youngsters are already set to take the field and get to hunting come April 9. That number, given the previous two OV Easter Egg Hunt’s, is going to grow considerably.
“As of (Monday) we have 500 kids signed up. We had 1,300 people in 2003, and close to 1,400 in 2019,” said Christi Howes, one of the lead event organizers. “We’re expecting another great response from the community.”
Howes has primarily posted information on social media. She’s expecting that number to increase rapidly as billboards and other forms of advertisement are hitting the public.
This is the third year for the event, which has always been held in Belmont County. The first year, back in 2003, was held at the Capstone Soccer Complex just outside of St. Clairsville. The 2019 version moved to Red Devil Stadium, which is the site of this year’s egg hunt.
The field will be divided into six large sections. Different age groups, including 1-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13-17 will have their portions of the field for egg hunting, along with a special needs section for ages 1-99.
The first round of egg hunts will begin at 10 a.m., with another set for noon.
“The special needs field has been widely received well,” Howes said. “It’s sponsored mainly by The Arc of Ohio and Valley Behavioral Health. They make the field ultra-friendly for any disability.
“They have sensory eggs, larger eggs, field buddies to help everyone with any form of disability to enjoy the day. It’s truly an all-inclusive event.”
Howes said there are currently 30 registered participants for the special needs field, which is nearly triple the amount from 2019. Still, there’s plenty of room for more and she encourages everyone interested to sign up.
There’s no cost to sign up for the youth or special needs hunts, participants are only asked to pre-register to assist in planning. This can be done online.
More than Just the Hunt
While the Easter Egg hunts are the hero of the day in terms of activity, it’s far from the only form of entertainment taking place.
There will be food trucks, inflatable rides, costumed characters, face painting, balloon animals, AirSoft, prize giveaways, the fire department fire house, an Easter Bunny Dance Party with Johnny O set to DJ, as well as sponsor booths and giveaways.
“We do want whole families to come from 10-1 and enjoy all the activities,” Howes said. “We have lots of local businesses called “sponsors” that will be doing the kids activities, games, and give away candy at their booths. Doors open at 9:30 a.m.”
Adults can get in on the fun as well, provided they are willing to part with $25 that is their charitable donation. Howes has a number of adults signed up, but naturally, would like to see more.
She’s hoping to get at least 50 adults signed up for the charity hunt, as one of the three main purposes of the OV Egg Hunt is that it serves as a fundraiser to support and sponsor A Special Wish’s Ohio Valley Chapter.
“It’s also to provide a free, top-notch and best community event focused on the Easter season, as well as provide the best marketing exposure for the local businesses which help fund this free community event.”
The main sponsors are Heritage Christian Childcare Center and Unified Bank, though many more are participating in various ways.
Volunteers are also needed. The event has a strong group already, but Howes is looking to get a volunteer force 50-strong.
“From field attendants, registration, the prize table, volunteer table, there’s much to do and an army needed to do it,” Howes said. “We have close to 10,000 eggs that get redistributed from our field attendant’s each hunt.
“After each hunt, the eggs are put into “Egg Drop Bins” where the attendants can redistribute them after the hunt in preparation for the next hunt.”
Anyone looking to volunteer can do so by going here and signing up. For more information, visit the above-linked website or visit the event on Facebook.
