FORT SILL, Okla. (April 9, 2015) -- Hundreds of Fort Sill youngsters scrambled to collect 30,000 eggs during the annual Easter Egg hunt April 4, at Butner and Cowan fields here. The hunt provided post families a fun event to spend time together on a sunny day.
In addition to the hunt, the Easter Bunny, games and activities were available for the children to enjoy. The annual event coincided with Month of the Military Child, and it was co-sponsored by Fort Sill Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and Corvias Military Living.
"It was awesome," said Fidel Ruiz, who was at the hunt with his wife, Valentina, and their two young daughters. "It was well-organized, very well-executed and the ages were appropriately separated. I also liked the (raffle) prizes."
Valentina agreed and her daughters each had about 20 colorful plastic eggs filled with candy in their baskets.
The noon hunt was open to kids up to age 11. Children were split up into four age groups in respective areas. There was also a separate hunt area for families needing special accommodations. Once the hunt began, parent helped toddlers pick up eggs. For the older children, it was every kid for themself. All the eggs were collected within minutes.
The hunt drew some new community sponsors, including Chick-fil-A, as well as repeat sponsors, like USAA, said Brenda Spencer-Ragland, FMWR director. It was community sponsorship that allowed FMWR to purchase the tens of thousands of eggs.
Corvias Military Living provided and ran the games and activities, such as facepainting, as well as raffles for Easter gift baskets, said Kolby Stobbe, Corvias' Resident Relations manager.
"I think it went fantastic," Stobbe said. "The families seemed excited about the new activities, and the interaction with our staff."
The Fort Sill Federal Credit Union was one of the community sponsors with a booth at the hunt. Credit union staffers were encouraging youth to start free savings accounts -- with the CU depositing $5 into the new account, said Leandra Smith, FSCU Business Development officer.
It's also National Credit Union Youth Month and the CU is hosting a number of events this month, including a coloring contest, youth financial workshop April 18 at Laugh at Loud, as well as classes for adults, she said.
The event could not have been a success without the dozens of active-duty, family and civilian volunteers, and community sponsors, Spencer-Ragland said. Volunteers placed all the eggs on the field.
Sgt. Ashton Reynolds, a student at the Electronic Warfare School, helped placed eggs, and assisted with stage activities during the festivities. He said he was one of about a dozen volunteers from the EW schoolhouse, who volunteered to give back to the community.
"When I was a kid I used to play football, and there were volunteers always helping out so it was my turn to give back," Reynolds said.
Additional sponsors included Jim Glover Chevrolet, Wells Pediatric Dentistry, Laugh Out Loud and EZ Go. Sponsorship does not imply federal endorsement.
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