Two-year-old Dean Sremaniak was getting antsy, looking out over the South Elgin field filled with glow-in-the-dark plastic eggs. He was ready to run out and grab his share.
“Mama, there’s eggs. We want eggs. We want eggs,” the little guy started chanting, joined by his cousin, Mattie Poling, 3.
A few overly eager participants did break free and had to be ushered back to the starting gate before the official signal was given and dozens of children rushed out to scoop up the bounty that filled Jim Hansen Park during the Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt, an annual event held by the South Elgin Parks and Recreation Department.
More than 700 children were signed up to participate in Friday night’s Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt in South Elgin. Village staff and volunteers “hid” 3,000 eggs on a field at Jim Hansen Park. (Gloria Casas/The Courier-News)
Within a few minutes, Dean and Mattie were among the tiniest tots, aged infant to 3 years, who managed to pick up some of the 3,000 candy-filled eggs hidden in plain sight by park staff and volunteers. Three rounds of egg hunting were held based on children’s ages.
Because South Elgin’s traditional egg hunt had to be called off during the COVID-19 pandemic years, three years ago the parks and recs department staff wanted a new challenge for when the event returned and came up with the glow-in-the-dark idea, department Director Kim Wascher said.
“We got lucky that this works for us,” Wascher said. She loves watching the kids’ excitement and the smiles on their faces, she said.
Dean Sremaniak, 2, bags up one of the candy-filled plastic eggs he found Friday night during South Elgin Parks and Recreation’s annual Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt at Jim Hansen Park (Gloria Casas/The Courier-News)
With 700 children registered for the hunt, each was allowed to pick up five eggs.
Spencer Krull, who will celebrate her 1st birthday next week, was eager to get started on her first expedition while her 2-year-old sister, Dylan, 2, tired herself out by running around before it even got underway.
Eleven-month-old Arlo Fry, who will be celebrating his first Easter this year, poses for a photo in front of an inflatable bunny set up as part of South Elgin’s Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt. (Gloria Casas/The Courier-News)
Their parents, Steven and Alexandra, were happy to have something fun to do with the kids for the holiday. The couple said they like the events the village offers for families, especially in the summer.
Dina Pena brought her daughter, Emilia, 2, who donned a pink winter coat and boots for the occasion and carried a gray cloth basket adorned with a purple bunny.
While the weather could have been warmer, Pena said, the kids didn’t seem to mind.
“I think it’s fun,” she said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
One-year-old Aris Vasquez, eager to grab some plastic eggs, had to be held back by his mother, Aja, until the start of the Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt Friday night at Jim Hansen Park in South Elgin. Also on hand were his brothers, Ritchie, 3, and Adam, 11, and their grandparents, Obie and Minnie Vasquez. (Gloria Casas/The Courier-News)
