Business owner scrambles to put on annual egg hunt

The 18th annual Oakhurst Community Easter Egg Hunt will be held Sunday

By Denise Aday

(Updated: Friday, March 21, 2008, 12:33 PM)

For a few moments each year everyone in Oakhurst Community Park seems to collectively hold their breath. The lawn is sectioned off with bright yellow tape, and thousands of colorful eggs cower in the open field.

More than 100 antsy children grip baskets and strain at the starting line, waiting for the hunt master to shout 'Go!"

This year, there was tension of a different kind, as the hunt was almost lost.

The Yosemite High School Interact Club, which began the hunt 17 years ago, and has shepherded the project ever since, was unable to do the egg hunt this year. But in traditional small-community style someone else has stepped in to help.

Donna Davis, owner of Have A Ball, heard about the hunt dilemma just five days before Easter, but volunteered to pick up the almost-dropped egg. She will put on the 18th annual Oakhurst Community Easter Egg Hunt in Oakhurst Community Park, Easter Sunday at 1 p.m.

The right stuff

Putting on a community egg hunt is no easy task, even under normal circumstances, as Helen Yates can attest. A member of the high school Interact Club, a community service club affiliated with the Rotary clubs, Yates took the hunt as her senior project last year, and took two months to prepare for the big day.

Davis has just two days left to prepare for the community event, but she said she had to take it on.

"I stopped by the chamber to pay for an event booth and heard there was not going to be an Easter egg hunt this year," she said. "Financially, this is a difficult time of year for anyone to sponsor anything, but I decided to bite the bullet. I have five grandkids of my own, and I know what it is like when they are disappointed, and I couldn't let that happen. For some kids, this is all the Easter they have."

In between soccer appointments, Davis is rapidly putting together a cache of plastic eggs, candy and prizes.

"I've volunteered my family to help me," she said. "It will be a real family affair because my husband, daughter, son-in-law, and grandson Sage, 2, will be there."

Rachel DeBernardi heard about the community handoff when she stopped in with her sons Dominic, 2, and Luca, 1, for their SoccerTots appointment.

"Donna doesn't look stressed at all," DeBernardi said. "In fact, she looks thrilled about it. When I came in, she was wrapping presents for the hunt."

Davis has organized Easter egg hunts in the past for the Pines Resort, but said the Oakhurst Community Park event is much bigger.

"I hope people bring a picnic basket, come for the egg hunt and stay to enjoy the park," she said.

Davis said there will be hundreds of eggs filled with candy, and some special eggs with prizes.

"The park will be separated into two areas," she said. "Kids from toddler through age 4 will be in one area, and kids age 5 to 10 in another. Both groups will start at 1 p.m., and it should be great fun."

Next year

Longtime Interact adviser Consuelo Mercier said she is hoping Interact will be able to pick up the Easter egg hunt again next year. Mercier, who now works part-time, worked with Yates last year, but said no student came forward to take on the hunt as a senior project this year.

"I'm semi-retired now, watching my infant granddaughter and my office has moved to the other end of the campus," Mercier said. "I feel more removed from the lines of communication and with other family commitments I just couldn't manage the egg hunt on my own this year. But it is an important community event, and I'm so happy Have A Ball has stepped in to make it happen."

Davis said she was happy to volunteer this year.

"As for next year," she said, "I'm open to anything to do with kids and the park."

With more than 40 high school students in the Interact Club, Mercier said it would be very helpful if some community members could volunteer to help the Interact leadership.

"Interact has dozens of projects around the community," she said. "But for Interact to continue to serve the community the way it has, I need some help. We need adult leadership, and we need a student to do the hunt as a senior project next year."

In addition to the Community Park Easter Egg Hunt, there are several businesses and churches with egg hunts that are open to the public.

For more information on the Interact Club, call the high school at (559) 683-4667. Ext. 392.

For more information on Have A Ball, go to www.haveaballoakhurst.com or call (559) 641-5858.

Egg hunts on Easter Sunday

18th annual Oakhurst Community Easter Egg Hunt
1 p.m. in the Oakhurst Community Park
Two age groups, separate areas: Toddlers-4, and 5-10
Information: (559) 641-5858

The Pines Resort Easter Egg Hunt
1 p.m. at The Pines Village, Bass Lake
Pictures with the Easter Bunny available
Information: (559) 642-3121

Tenaya Lodge Buffet and Easter Egg Hunt
Brunch is 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
10 a.m. for ages 6 to 11, and 11 a.m. for toddlers to age 5
Petting zoo and pony rides available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Information: (877) 635-5807, ext. 1722

Christ Church Anglican Easter Egg Hunt
Begins after the 10 a.m. service, Oakhurst
Information: (559) 683-7374

First Baptist Church Easter Egg Hunt
During the 10:45 a.m. service, Oakhurst
Information: 683-6101

Lighthouse Assembly of God Easter Egg Hunt
Begins after the 9 a.m. worship service, Coarsegold
Information: (559) 683-8056

Mountain Christian Center Easter Egg Hunt
Begins after 10:15 a.m. service, Oakhurst
Information: (559) 683-7332

Oakhurst Lutheran Church Easter Egg Hunt
Begins after the 8 a.m. service, Oakhurst
Information: (559) 683-4673

Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church Easter Egg Hunts
First hunt begins after 9:30 a.m. service, Oakhurst
Second hunt begins after 11 a.m. service
Information: (559) 683-6742

Yosemite Lakes Community Church of the Sierra Easter Egg Hunts
Held during 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services, Coarsegold
Information: (559) 658-7447