By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The popular Easter egg hunt returns to Grayson on Saturday, April 19, 11 am at Prichard Elementary. The egg hunt is hosted by Grayson Tourism, and Tourism Director Lana Axtell said that she expects an even better turnout than last year.
“There are at least 5,000 eggs,” Axtell said. “There will be Grand Prize stuffed bunnies for the winners. There will be eggs filled with candy, some eggs filled with little toys, and some eggs with dollar bills.”
“The egg hunt is completely free. And we will run it just like we did last year so there isn’t any chaos,” Axtell said. “There will be separated sections with age groups. Kids only. No parents will be permitted on the field.”
Axtell said that is the best way to make it fair for everyone involved, so that the excitement of the hunt and the thrill of earning prizes doesn’t cause the chaos she mentioned. Tourism, she said, wants everyone to have a wonderful time on a level playing field – even if that field is filled with hidden treats.
“The Easter Bunny will be there, and you can take pictures with him for free,” Axtell said.
And speaking of bunnies, the grand prize bunnies are won by finding the egg that contains a golden ticket in each age group.
“People will line up by 11 am for the hunt,” Axtell said. “And it is important to not be late to get in line.”
Last year’s event lasted about thirty minutes, she said.
“So, you might want to make sure you’re in line by 10:45.”
The popular event is sponsored by Grayson Tourism, but local merchants are helping sponsor it as well. Tourism has accepted sponsorships from multiple businesses and community members, but donations are still open for the event. Any business or individual wishing to donate can contact Lana Axtell.
Every event, of course, is a learning experience, and Axtell said they are considering adding something new post event.
“We are thinking about having an egg return this year,” she said. “So, if you have a bunch of plastic eggs and you’ve gotten your prizes out of them, don’t throw them in the garbage. We will have an egg return day for people to bring back their plastic eggs, and that way we will have less eggs to buy next year.”
Axtell said she is in the process now of determining what sort of incentive they can offer for the returned eggs, possibly a sweet treat. Another possibility is to have an entry into a drawing for a free day at the Splash Pad or a similar reward. But Axtell said there will be an incentive to encourage the reuse of the eggs and discourage the waste of simply throwing them away.
The Easter egg hunt is another way of giving the community a fun and free activity that will enrich their lives. Axtell said she sees tourism as a way to support the community both in good times and in bad times.
“Our next big event is in October,” Axtell said. “But in the meantime, we are involved in other things like the Tourism Facebook auction to benefit Dustin Stewart. The auction is going on now and will end on April 18. Pickup will be on April 19.”
That auction includes a lot of items like desserts and gift cards from various locations.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
