Hunt, scramble and dash

Optimist of North Augusta, SC hosts annual Easter egg dash

This weekend, children throughout the US and Canada will be dashing, hunting and scrambling for eggs as many Optimist Clubs host one of their favorite activities: the Easter Egg Hunt.

Ask any Optimist Club spokesperson and they will say it's the best 60 seconds of the year. After weeks of planning and hours of setting up, the children arrive and wipe out the colorful, candy-filled eggs in record-breaking time. Smiles are seen all around as the kiddos claim their prizes and Optimist Club members and parents look on with delight.

The Optimist Club of Meridian, Idaho proudly claimed on its Easter egg scramble flyer that it is the 37th consecutive year to host the event. That's an important record to publish for it acknowledges that the Optimist Club has been strong and contributing to the community for a very long time. It signifies its staying power and demonstrates value in belonging to the Optimist Club. Don't be afraid to brag a little about your Optimist Club's commitment to those it serves.

So when the whistle blows this weekend, don't be looking the other way or you'll miss all the fun.

Photo credit: Derrek Asberry for The Star

Time to scramble for eggs

Tomorrow is Easter. That means today, Optimists Clubs throughout the United States are hosting Easter Egg Hunts for the kiddos. It's the most fun that anyone can have in 2 minutes or less. Here's a look at some of the fun with the Optimist Club of Jerome, Idaho. Happy Easter!

Hopping into spring

I'm not sure what it is about an Easter Egg Hunt that brings out the kid in all of us. Maybe it's the candy or maybe it's the memories, but Optimist Clubs around the the US can be seen this time of year getting ready for the big search. There will be candy, prizes, and the Easter Bunny himself right along with the most breathtaking three minutes of action as the kiddos scramble for the golden eggs.


The Optimist Club of Blair, Nebraska's Easter Egg Hunt flyer is shared here because it caught my eye this morning on Facebook. It's easy to read, the sponsors are easily identifiable, and most of all, for me, it looks hoppy. Oh, I'm sorry, I mean happy. It looks like spring is on the way.

Five thousand eggs

Five thousand eggs. That's right - in Idaho, the Middleton Area Optimist Club is combining forces with the Middleton Gazette to host a community Easter Egg Hunt with 5,000 eggs for the participants to find.

Each egg has been filled with jelly beans or prize certificates and every child, ten and under, will leave the event with their fair share of eggs, candy and a prize.

Becky O'Meara, publisher of the Middleton Gazette has been hosting the Easter Egg Hunt for many years, but this year she is enjoying help from the recently formed Optimist Club in the community.  Members have been filling eggs and will be on hand to help set-up and carry out the event.

The club hopes to help more individuals with other projects in the community throughout the year.  "We're here to help, not take over," explains Patrick Halpin, President.

The Middleton Easter Egg Hunt will begin at10:00 a.m. sharp, Saturday, April 23, Foote Park, Middleton.




Photo courtesy of bctrissel. 

From an anonymous donor

The annual Easter Egg Hunt is one of the favorite projects for the Optimist Club of Meridian, Idaho. They have held one on the Saturday before Easter every year for 37 years.  One of the things they do that is slightly different than other  Easter Egg Hunts is they provide thousands of dollars worth of prizes for the lucky egg holders.

Most everyone goes home with a prize as well as the candy they've collected. If the club sees someone who didn't find a prize egg, they try to be sure they get something too.

As you can imagine, that's a lot of gifts to buy. This year, a local department store (that asked to remain anonymous) made a contribution to the Optimist Club so they will have even more prizes next year. Shown here are Rod Shaul and Susan Thompson sorting out their largess. Get ready Meridian kiddos for the biggest Easter Egg Hunt ever coming in 2011!

It's all about your attitude

Being in an Optimist Club is all about attitude.  Smiles, laughter, friendships, networking and doing good for your community and the children is all second nature to an Optimist Club member.  If not, the group gatherings aim at changing your attitude for the better. 

Think about this occurrence: It would have been rather easy to look out at the snow and ice and the blowing wind on Saturday morning before Easter and say every Easter Bunny should be hiding in his rabbit hole and then cancel the Annual Easter Egg Hunt due to inclement weather.  But no!  The Jerome Optimist Club members are optimists.  They do it for the kids.  So sixteen members laid eggs and right on time more than 250 children turned out to pick them up.   Smiling with the Easter Bunny,  President Angie Bridge said, "Now you know why we color the eggs!"

Bunny Hop into the record book with the MVOC Optimist Club

The Missouri Valley Optimist Club needs your help!   Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to be a part of the world's largest Bunny Hop.  If more than 3,800 people join them at the Dakota Zoo, March 27, 1:30 pm, they hope to hop for five minutes and secure a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Bunny ears are required and the fun is guaranteed.  Call your friends and family and join the Optimist Club at the Dakota Zoo, 602 Riverside Park Road, Bismarck, ND. 

The Annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place immediately before the Bunny Hop.  Show up early so the Optimist Club can count you in. 

Find out more about the Bunny Hop here.