The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Hundreds of eager young egg-hunters lined up on the Creekside Park Bridge and surrounding walkways waiting in anticipation for the start of the 36th annual Sisters Easter Egg Hunt.

Earlier on Easter morning, the Sisters-Camp Sherman and Cloverdale fire departments divided the park up into four areas, one for each age group, scattering 6,000 brightly colored eggs on the grass, behind trees, and among the pine needles for the Easter egg-stravaganza.

Spurge Cochran, portraying the honorary Easter Bunny, arrived on the scene with his own basket of goodies greeting the excited kids before the egg hunt began.

"This is my 36th year in Sisters as the Easter Bunny, and it's always a great time," said Cochran.

At 1 p.m. on the dot, the siren sounded and crowds of little egg-hunters holding their unique variety of baskets searched the grass and pine needles, scouring the grounds frantically picking up plastic colored trinkets that held a prize inside. Families followed their ambitious youngsters egging them on toward unnoticed corners.

Golden eggs were the special attraction this year. Any participant that found a golden egg brought it up to the big picnic table that held extra-special prizes for them to choose.

Camp Sherman resident and volunteer firefighter Hayden Jones organized this year's egg hunt.

"This is my first time getting an Easter egg hunt together. I love helping out, and I got lots of help from the other volunteers as well."

Although it took over an hour to hide the thousands of eggs, the hunt was over in less than 10 minutes. Hundreds of happy-faced kids hauled their heavy baskets to picnic tables or sat on the ground to inspect what kind of treasured prize lay inside each captured egg.

"I just ran all around and around getting eggs," said 5-year-old Brennan Frutos, smiling, as he held up his large bounty of eggs inside a weaved Easter basket.

The fun never seemed to end; one park picnic table had fire-prevention giveaways such as fire-hats, bracelets, and key chains promoting fire-prevention awareness, set up by the Sisters-Camp Sherman fire department. Loads of kids stood in line to receive a red fire-hat.

Delaney Dudley, 5, sat at a picnic table with her dad looking into her pink and blue pail that held her collection of eggs. Anxious to twist off the tops and claim her prize, she first explained how she gathered so many.

"I just saw them all sitting there, so I ran fast and got them!"

Even though the afternoon flew by in what seemed like minutes for families and their kids, folks enjoyed mingling among friends and neighbors.

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Chief Roger Johnson enjoyed watching families get together as a community.

"This is a great event that brings the community together and also a good opportunity to educate them about fire prevention."

Johnson also expressed his appreciation for the City of Sisters' donation of the park and campground for the event.

"This location is perfect for the event and essential for its continued success," he said.