3rd annual Easter egg hunt delights more kids

The candy was plenty and ready as hundreds of kids with their parents descended upon the grassy hillside.

There were 7,500 plastic Easter eggs filled with candy, hidden and dispersed throughout Indian Hills Park in Green River Saturday. Approximately $2,500 in candy was available to the mob of excited kids.

The children raced onto the field that afternoon, split into age groups and separate areas of the park. The children dispersed with Easter baskets in hand, grasping at their hand-sized candy bars and eggs.

Smith's Food and Drug donated most of the candy for the event, as well as some individual monetary donations. This was the third annual Easter egg hunt hosted by Smith's, and the most widely attended. Families from Green River, Rock Springs and Vernal, Utah, attended the event. It was the first year in attendance for some, while others have been Easter egg hunting at the event every year. This was the second time it was hosted at the park. The event was hosted in the Smith's store the first year.

"We had 7,500 plastic eggs. I know that because we stuffed them, every, one of them," Smith's event culture council lead Tiffany Lundgren said.

A group of over a dozen Smith's employees helped make the event happen. They stuffed the eggs, cleaned and set up the park and kept watch over the event. There was even an Easter bunny there, to take photos with the kids. It was a lot of work, but worth it to them. It's for the kids and the community.

"Anytime we can get the kids together for something positive is always worth it. That's all we do it for," Lundgren said.

Because of the event's large turnout last year, Castle Rock Ambulance Service was in attendance as well for safety precautions. More and more people near and far come to the event every year.

"It's the best one we've had so far," store director Fred Mondragon said. "It gets bigger and better every year."

"It was awesome. It was a lot of fun for these guys," attendee Tyler Wood, said. "It's the best one around."

Wood brought his little brother Logan Freuler to the event. Logan especially liked finding the eggs. At the end, he collected almost a couple dozen eggs in his basketball shaped Easter basket. His sister Oakleigh Freuler's favorite thing she found was a coupon for free cookies.