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Children pose with the Easter Bunny for a photo.

When the siren sounded, a mad dash for candy ensued at the Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt.

This girl came dressed for the occasion in her buddy ears.

Nine-year-old Liam shows off this loot on Saturday with his mom Christi.

Easter Eggs bring out the kids

STORY AND PHOTOS BY

SUSAN THACKER

sthacker@gbtribune.com

Saturday was a day for Easter Egg hunts in communities throughout the Golden Belt. The traditional boiled eggs have given way to plastic shells filled with candy and prizes, but that was fine with hundreds of children.

Great Bend’s candy rush started at 9 a.m. at Queen Bee Nutrition and was followed by the annual Kiwanis hunt at 9:30 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park.

Kiwanis member LeeAnn June chaired this year’s hunt with help from fellow Kiwanian Frankie Pelster and others who arrived early to seed the ground with candy and mark off areas for different age groups. Parents were saying “not yet” as kids crowded the starting line. After a siren marked the start, it took about five minutes before the park was cleared.

“I can’t carry all this stuff!” said a boy who had a basket of candy, plus a prize ticket that got him a stuffed rabbit and another toy.

In the afternoon, families could go to Encounter Church for indoor activities and the annual Candy Blast, with thousands of plastic eggs blasted from cannons onto a field.