Dunsmuir's Easter Egg Extravaganza

^{_{cover photo: Dunsmuir Easter Egg Hunt Coordinators Jason Stout, Amanda Linse and Ester McClendon sit with the Easter Bunny at the photo booth. credit: Shareen Strauss}}

Coordinator Amanda Linse gives the Easter Bunny a hug.

When it comes to Dunsmuir putting on an event, they prepare for a grand time regardless of the weather.

On Saturday, in the Dunsmuir Community center, coordinators and many other volunteers planned and prepared for a spectacular Easter Egg hunt with plenty of goodies, games, toys, food and fun for kids of all ages.

Laying tables on their sides to create a large balloon pit which hid many colored plastic eggs, (4000 to be exact) some filled with candy, 200 filled with prizes and about 36 golden eggs that contained money.

Children sit in front of the big prizes on stage for the lucky kids who will find the winning Easter eggs

The children were divided up into three age groups. The youngest, ages one to four, got to go first into the balloon pit to find the Easter Eggs. The next age group was 5 to 8 and the oldest group, ages 9 to 12 also got to pop the balloons afterwards which some parents said was the most fun for the kids.

This year, 10th grader Jersey Holland volunteered for the Easter Bunny position entertaining the children by posing for pictures with them, and passing out chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs.

The Grand Prize winners of the Easter egg hunt were 4-year-old Linkyn Ball, 8-year-old Autumn Christ, and her 12-year-old brother Jade Christ.

The prizes were many, enough so every child walked away with something. For the winners, there were 18 baskets filled with games, toys, gift cards and candy. The grand prize for each age group was a bicycle. The grand prize winners of the bikes were 4-year-old Linkyn Ball, 8-year-old Autumn Christ, and her 12-year-old brother Jade Christ.

Homemade cookies, drinks and snacks were available for all participants.

Amanda Linse, Jason Stout, and Ester McClendon coordinated the event. They estimated over 50 to maybe 100 children participated. Other volunteers include Linda Guzman, Will Newman, Linda Taylor, Charlotte Kalayjian, Alan Clother and his wife, Cynthia. Some manned the snack booth where cookies, coffee, hot chocolate, juice boxes and other snacks were available for all the participants and their families. Other volunteers helped hand out prizes and toys that covered 3 tables, and also helped set up and then clean up afterwards.

Volunteer Linda Guzman sits at one of 3 tables that hold toys and games for the children.

For an event of this magnitude, many donations were collected. First 5 Siskiyou, and Siskiyou Community Resource helped sponsor this event. Others donations that totaled over $1,700 came from Pace Engineering, Eric Burger, Up N Running Espresso, Amanda Linse, Jessie’s Housekeeping, Lori Padilla, Peter Arth, Catherine Minnis, Joanne Tracy, Burger Barn, Anna Schiavio, Dunsmuir Tire Shop, David Hicks, Krista Weagraff, Quay Salmons, Ester McClendon, Revive Church, Manfredi’s, Ted Fay Fly Shop, Pizza Factory, Alan Clother, Carla Charraga, and Christine Means.