Hundreds of volunteers of all different ages gathered at the Folsom Community Center Wednesday event to do their part in making Easter weekend fun for countless children in the community by accepting the title of “Official Easter Egg stuffer,” for the evening.
Gathered at a menagerie of tables and enticed by complimentary grub from Pizza Guys and Chick-fil-A, the eager crowd of busy workers, surrounded by piles of colorful plastic eggs, formed a massive production line throughout the room with a unified mission – to stuff at least 25,000 eggs with goodies and prizes.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun at the same time,” said 14-year-old Daniel Davis who signed up to volunteer with his father Rick after they read that the city needed volunteers on the FolsomTimes.com page last week. “And we eot Chick-fil-A, I’ll just about anything for that, it’s even better than all this candy.”
Thursday evening’s community project kickstarted at 5 p.m. as volunteers from the Folsom Teen Council supplied each table with a large supply of plastic eggs and their contents, along with large bags to place their completed eggs in. By 5:40 p.m. the mass effort had nearly all 25,000 eggs stuffed. Then, they hung around and enjoyed their complimentary dinner together as a community.
Wednesday’s group effort was in preparation of the upcoming Festival of Eggs at Folsom’s Lembi Park this Saturday. The event is a revived version of a local classic is sure to bring smiles to those 10 and under with numerous activities.
Inspired by what Folsom use to call its Spring Egg-stravaganza, this newly reorganized event can accommodate the large amount of youngsters that attend in new and efficient ways. As opposed to just a traditional crowded dash for eggs where many little ones come up short when it comes to finding those eggs with the large crowd, this event that every youngster leaves the event with something in their basket!
Saturday’s Festival of Eggs will offer two different start times to accommodate various age groups. Upon arrival, families can take part in a pancake breakfast for a small price, as well as a kiddie carnival that is free for everyone and hosted by the Folsom Teen Council and will feature various forms of entertainment, vendor displays and activities.
Upon arrival to the event, little ones just pick up an official Bunny Trail map to get them started on their adventure. As families visit the different vendors, they will have the opportunity to collect a variety of goodies, eggs with prizes inside and more.
“All of those kinds of feeling and atmosphere from the previous years are all coming back,” said Frankie Newson of Folsom Parks and Recreation. “We want to make sure that every kid that comes to the event leaves with a basket of eggs, lots of goodies and alot of memories and smiles.”
After visiting all of the different stops along the way, guests will meet the Easter Bunny at the end of the trail and have the opportunity for a photo. Those who complete all of the stops along the way will then receive a ticket for a special egg hunt and a chance to win a Golden Egg Prize sponsored by the Folsom Athletic Association.
Saturday’s event has two different time windows to separate age groups and make it a fun experience for all to participate in. Those with youngsters ages 6 and under should plan to arrive at the park from 8AM until 9:30 a.m. Those that are ages 7-10 are to arrive between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 am.
This week, hundreds of volunteers and City of Folsom staff will be busy stuffing some 25,000 eggs for the event.
For further information on the Festival of Eggs, visit www.folsom.ca.us.
