A Spring Tradition In Moapa Park

By NICK YAMASHITA

The Progress

The annual Moapa Spring Egg Hunt took place on Wednesday, March 31 at the Moapa Park, to the delight of a whole crowd of local kids.

Children were lined up with their parents behind them, waiting for the word to start the frantic frenzy of gathering hundreds of plastic, colored eggs with sweet little treats inside.

While about a hundred attendees waited lined up on the sidewalk, a few early “go-getters” got excited and tried to wander out onto the grass and pick up eggs before allowed to. One little guy tried three times while his mother, Cassia Lopez, chased him down.

“It is his first egg hunt,” said his father Elmer Lopez, who is also a Clark County Parks and Rec Recreation Specialist. “He is excited!”

When the “go” signal sounded after a countdown, it was a sudden hysteria of little feet storming throughout across the lawn.

“This was unbelievably special,” said Parks and Recreation Moapa Coordinator Brian Hendricks, “It is so good to see kids happy and out playing again. I think everyone here needed this experience and event.”
Within a flash, treasure hunters had found all the eggs on the grass.

A few older kids were given more of a challenge. Their eggs were hidden in a desert landscape beyond the grass. But soon, even those eggs had been gathered.

Quickly the kids sat down to divide the spoil and breaking them open. Everyone hoped to find the piece of paper confirming that they found a “treasure” egg. Such eggs entitled the bearer to claim a special prize from the prize tables. Prizes ranged from bags of candy to bubble guns, crayons, and more.

Each age division had one “grand-daddy” of all prizes: big stuffed Easter animals. Some of them were bigger than most of the youngsters who claimed them. But to claim those, the lucky children had to picked up the “golden” egg!

“She found it and now won’t let go of the stuffed animal,” exclaimed Elyse Woods, whose daughter found the golden egg.

When all was said and done, many parents and children remained at the park to enjoy the beautiful weather. The kids played on the playground for a while.

There was a special surprise from the Steve Jensen family. They provided anyone with brand new Easter ties and bows for free.

“We unexpectedly ‘inherited’ about 200,000 ties, and we needed our garage back, so we figured this was a great gift to everyone for the upcoming Easter weekend,” explained Elli Jensen.

Hendricks was pleased with the event and the turnout. “Everyone had fun,” he said. “I have to say thanks to Jenny Wood for helping coordinate all of this and for all of the Parks and Rec staff in putting this on.

It is great to welcome Spring with such a good event.”