“Five, four, three, two, one, go!”
Like greyhounds out of the starting gate, hundreds of children lurched from their stances and grabbed as many eggs as they could.
As the fog of war cleared, parents watched their valiant children return from the battle, each showcasing their spoils with euphoric pride.
These were the scenes of Saturday’s Easter egg hunt in the backyard of Vancouver Elks Lodge No. 823 — where an estimated 200-plus children scrambled for plastic eggs filled with candy, coins and other goodies. It was the first time the hunt has been held “normally” since 2019; last year, lodge members prepared pre-made Easter baskets for children and families to come pick up; in 2020, the event was canceled altogether.
“This is probably the largest this event has ever been in the 11 years I’ve done this, or at least one of the top two,” said Rene Radillo, an assistant chaplain at the lodge and the head of Saturday’s event. Radillo’s voice was understandably hoarse; he had operated without a megaphone as he explained event rules to the hundreds of anxious onlookers, his lone voice competing with the roar of nearby Interstate 205.
“I think what we saw here today was a lot of pent-up energy,” he said, laughing. “Thankfully, the weather was really nice; I was expecting it to rain.”
Radillo and the Elks Lodge members had help from local Girl Scouts of America Troop No. 40174 and Sea Scouts Troop No. 630, which worked on event setup and stuffed the eggs with goodies. The event also featured face-painting, family photo booths, and food and drinks for weary egg hunters.
Children were separated into four age groups: up to 2 years, 3 to 5 years, 6 to 8 years, and 9 to 11 years. Each group’s hunt started just a few seconds after the other, with each and every one of the 2,400 eggs being scooped up in the blink of an eye.
Maria Gershun of Vancouver joked that she thinks her youngest daughter, Jasmine — just 9 months old — managed to get more eggs than her older brother and sister.
“It was crazy. I don’t think we expected such a huge crowd,” she said.
Her son Jason, 8, showed off the “ultra-rare” 50-cent coins he’d found in an egg he managed to get his hands on. “I only got like three, so I gave one to my sister,” he said.
Radillo stored a few dozen extra eggs in his pockets as complimentary backups for children who weren’t able to snatch any of their own.
“I usually keep a bunch on me just in case,” he said. “We want to make sure everyone gets some.”
