FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- Saturday was a day for kids and Families on Fort Leonard Wood.
By 10 a.m., thousands of children and their parents flocked to Colyer Park for the fourth annual Easter Egg Hunt, hosted by Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
More than 2,000 children ages 0 to 12 participated in the hunt, according to Megan O'Donoghue, FMWR marketing director. The children picked up 15,000 eggs filled with candy or coins that could be exchanged for trinkets and had the chance to pose for pictures with the Easter Bunny.
Afterward, Families made their way over to the 18th Annual Community Fun Fair, hosted by Child, Youth and School Services at the Child Development and School Age centers.
More than 1,500 community members participated, according to Millie Justus, CYS Services lead training and curriculum specialist.
The purpose of the fair was to promote the Month of the Military Child and Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, Justus said.
Beyond that, "really, the goal is just to provide parents and the Families a good, free time," she said.
This year's fair was themed "The Great Adventure." Children earned coins for each area they explored, from going insides fire trucks and military vehicles to learning new skills inside the School Age Services building. The coins could be exchanged for merchandise, provided by the MWR sponsorship program.
Three-year-old Donovan Duran was delighted to try on a fireman's helmet and gas mask, with the help of firemen from Fort Leonard Wood's Fire Department.
Duran said he wanted to be a fireman himself one day. "I want to fight fires," he said.
Danielle Coleman, military spouse and mother, appreciated the opportunity for her children to explore the military vehicles -- "being able to get on the same equipment my husband uses -- their Dad uses," she said. "He's a drill sergeant."
Inside the SAS and CDC buildings, Families were given resources on child abuse prevention, including the Kid ID program, along with information on children's programs, such as the upcoming SAS summer camps and A.R.M.Y Childcare in Your Neighborhood Program.
"It's just a fun, festive way to advertise our programs," Justus said. "We wanted to bring attention to the resources we offer, not only on Fort Leonard Wood but in the surrounding community."
Meanwhile, children learned about math and science with several garrison and community organizations.
The Robotics Systems Joint Project Office allowed children to steer roving robots using remote controls. In another room, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers helped children make "flubber," a mixture of water and glue, and showed them how to make paper airplanes as part of their Tomorrow's Engineers Program.
Across the street, in Bldg. 470, Health Promotions held a Bicycle Rodeo and car seat check station.
It was a busy day for Amanda Thompson, 10. "We went to the Easter Egg Hunt and then we came here. We walked around and we went inside to eat. We learned about bicycle safety and made flubber," she said.
Thompson's mother, Angela, said she brought her three children to the fair for the free entertainment and education.
"I've got Family of five -- it costs a lot of money to go out to eat, to go do things. We just like to come out and do things as a family, and the military's really good at supplying free events for us to come out as a family and enjoy," she said.
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