When thinking of Easter, memories of bright-colored eggs hidden in fresh-cut grass and the adrenaline rush from running to grab eggs before other children come to mind. Easter egg hunts are a staple for most children who celebrate Easter, but they aren’t always accessible for every child. To provide a way for all children to participate in this beloved tradition, Boys Town organized a beeping egg hunt for visually impaired children on March 23 on the Boys Town Campus.
“Seeing all the children being able to participate and earn prizes really warmed my heart and made all the hard work so worth it,” Boys Town event coordinator Daisy Corona said. “It’s the most rewarding feeling seeing and hearing families enjoy their time.”
This was their 16th annual egg hunt.
“We have families come to this every year, some even say they mark it on their calendar almost as a holiday, that’s just how important this event is for families,” Corona said. “I am so overjoyed to get the opportunity to organize this event and help bring joy to these children and families.”
When entering the doors, families found the entrance littered with farm animals, such as ducks and bunnies, for guests to pet. After checking in, visitors would navigate through 16 stations with individual beeping eggs to find to earn prizes. Prizes were from the various sponsors of the event, such as Raising Cane’s, Nebraska Foundation for Visually Impaired Children and Outlook Enrichment.
“It was so amazing to see the smile on the children’s faces when they were given the opportunity to find the egg,” volunteer and Gretna teacher for students with visual impairments Alise Hoffman said. “I was at the first station to welcome the families.”
Every year, except one, the egg hunt has been inside the Boys Town’s Hall of History and divided into stations.
“The different stations help kiddos interact with others and earn more goodies,” Corona said. “As we typically get children with more than just one disability, stations seem to be the best route for these children, as they usually require extra help, having the stations allows kids to still enjoy getting to ‘hunt eggs’ but also receive the additional support needed.”
Several students from Gretna Public Schools attended and hunted for eggs. Aspen Creek seventh-grader, Drew Sillman, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Batten’s disease shortly after kindergarten and lost his sight subsequently, attended the hunt for his sixth time.
“It is very heartwarming for me,” mother Cara Sillman said. “It’s nice to have something geared just for him. It also is very meaningful to interact with and see other blind children. It’s comforting to know we are not alone and are able to be a part of the blind community.”
Boys Town plans to continue reaching out to the blind and visually impaired community with the Camp Abilities Nebraska Recreation Day, an adapted sports event for visually impaired children, which will be on June 24.
“This event is important to not only myself but to the families and children that attend,” Corona said. “It gives children with vision impairments the chance to participate in an event that is catered to them and their needs and to feel truly comfortable in the environment they are in. It gives families a chance to network and helps them know that they are not alone. For new volunteers, it also brings awareness, as it’s not something you think about until you get the chance to see and meet these children and families. I hope to continue expanding and improving this event for years to come.”
