More than double the amount of people attended the Arnold Chamber of Commerce’s annual Eggstravaganza this year, executive director Courtney Sokolis said.
She said more than 2,500 people attended the event March 21 in Fox High School’s Gerald O’Connor Stadium. Last year, about 1,000 people were at the event.
“The line was wrapped from the field to the front of the building for people waiting to get in,” Sokolis said. “We had a very successful event. It was focused on giving back to the community, and everybody seemed really happy to be there. There were a lot of smiling families and children.”
Sokolis said about 1,500 children participated in the egg hunt on the athletic field. The kids were divided into four groups by age, and they sprinted onto the field to collect about 20,000 eggs.
Most of the eggs were filled with traditional Easter candy and small toys, but there also were more than 450 eggs with tickets that could be turned in for prizes, such as balls, sidewalk chalk, badminton sets and water guns.
There also were two eggs in each age group’s area with a ticket to win a bicycle.
The hunt, which started at noon, was started by an Arnold Police officer sounding the emergency siren on a police car.
“I cannot believe how quickly 20,000 eggs disappear,” Sokolis said. “The whistle blew and in under 10 minutes, the Easter eggs disappeared off the field. It is crazy how quickly it happened.
“(Arnold Police) set off the siren to give our go, and they helped with the flow of traffic and the little ones on the field. They made sure everyone was safe. It was great. We love having them present at our events.”
The Eggstravaganza started at 10:30 a.m. with plenty of entertainment prior to the hunt.
Sokolis said there were more than 20 local organizations and groups lining the field’s track with many offering games for people to play. Silly Jilly the Clown and Jay the Magician provided strolling entertainment, and there were three inflatables for children to play on.
“We are so happy to have them (organizations, groups and entertainers) because it helps break up the space in between,” Sokolis said. “Not kicking the egg hunt off until noon, it gives them plenty of things to do. We had free facepainting this year, which was a nice addition. The vendors had plenty of games to play with nice prizes. They made it fun and interactive.”
Sokolis said one of her favorite parts of the event was watching people interact with the Easter Bunny, who roamed the stadium and was available for pictures.
“Even though it was a warm day, (the Easter Bunny) was in high spirits and was out there for an hour and a half entertaining the kids,” she said. “They loved every minute of it, and seeing their smiling faces was a joy.”
Sokolis said the event’s main sponsors are Steve Reddy of Edward Jones and CSL Plasma. She said one of the best parts of the annual event is being able to provide a safe and fun environment for children.
“Having it on the track and field at the school, which we are so grateful to the school for allowing us to have it there every year, lets the kids run around freely, and the parents can breathe a little bit because they know it is safe,” she said.
The chamber will hold its seventh annual Arnold Chamber Golf Tournament at 7 a.m. June 19 at the Oak Valley Golf Course, 1230 Abby Lane, in Pevely. It costs $600 for a four-person team to play, and the tournament begins with a shotgun start at 8 a.m.
Engle said proceeds from the tournament fund chamber community events, such as the Eggstravaganza and Trunk or Treat, and scholarships for graduating high school students in the Fox C-6 and Windsor C-1 school districts.
To register for the tournament or apply for a scholarship, go to arnoldchamber.org. For information, call 636-296-1910 or email director@arnoldchamber.org.
