Egg hunting season brings joy, laughter to Perry

The sun wasn’t shining Saturday, but you couldn’t tell from the happy looks on children’s faces at Creekwood Park. They were smiling and laughing in the face of rain that never came.

The Eve Chapter #735 Order of the Eastern Star, with the help of Adam Lodge #734 Free & Accepted Masons, were holding their annual Easter Egg Hunt.

“It’s just one of the things we do,” said Most Worthy Matron Jeanie Simmons.

The chapter has been in Perry for 31 years, said Simmons, and started the Easter Egg Hunt about 25 years ago.

About 100 children were expected to scour the grounds at the park in search of eggs. They were placed with a degree of difficulty that wouldn’t frustrate the youngsters.

To make the event more equitable, Simmons broke down the children according to their age. Children were sorted into infant to 3 years old, 4 to 8 years old, and 9 to 13 years old.

The reward for their work was a hot dog lunch, an Easter basket and a chance to take home a bicycle or scooter. There were around 15 bicycles and scooters to be given away to lucky ticket holders.

Simmons said chapter members go the Wal-Mart every Saturday after Thanksgiving and ring the bell all day long for the Salvation Army, help with the music festival here, take up money and do book scholarships for the children to attend school, work with PVO (Perry Volunteer Outreach) and help distribute their boxes of food.

“Whatever they need for us to do in Perry, that’s what we do,” Simmons said. “This is some of the community service we do.”

The park was filled with young and old, and the air was filled with children’s laughter – and adults’ laughter too.

“Hey, I’ve been looking for you,” the man said, giving Simmons a hug.

“Why Mayor Faircloth,” she responded with a laugh, “I knew you were coming.”

Other members of the chapter came up and either hugged Faircloth or shook his hand. There were smiles all around.

“Listen everybody! I want all the children up to 3 years old over here,” said Simmons, waving her arms. The little ones dutifully assembled and were sent to a small patch of ground literally covered with painted eggs. Then came the other age groups, each sent to an area of the park that, at least, presented a slight challenge to them.

After gathering the eggs and placing them in their bags, the children lined up for lunch, and then the adults were fed. It was like a family gathering, with the steady hum of dinner conversation punctuated now and then with laughter.

Then Faircloth and Maj. Bill Phelps of the Perry Police Department started on the bicycle raffle. Donated boys’ and girls’ bicycles, and a couple of scooters, slowly went one by one into children’s waiting arms. Again, there were smiles all around.

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