Easter Bunny “egg-cited” for this month’s Egg Hunt

March 14, 2018 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

With just two more weeks before he hops off the bunny trail and over to Aurora, the Easter Bunny is more “egg-cited” than ever to join local residents for the 14th annual Easter Egg Hunt, hosted by the Town of Aurora.
Wristbands for the popular event are now on sale now at the Aurora Family Leisure Complex, Aurora Town Hall and the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex.
Each $6 wristband per child 12 and under (parents are free) will be your passport to a day of fun, family activities at the Aurora Seniors’ Centre from 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the Easter Bunny – and a host of volunteers – keeping busy and re-stocking for continuous egg hunts between 10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.
As he rests up for the busy Easter Weekend, the Easter Bunny sat down with The Auroran to share some of his insider tips on the big day.
BROCK WEIR: So, we hear you’re returning to Aurora once again on March 31. What keeps you coming back?
EASTER BUNNY: As you know, we always like to keep the event egg-citing with new activities each year, but with some of our more popular activities, we want to make sure they are still around, such as the infamous egg hunt. There is also a pancake breakfast I understand the Optimist Club is bringing in for friends who come to see me that day. Those who come with an appetite will be very pleased with the results. Last year was a little bit rainy, as you know, so I am crossing my bunny ears that we’ll have good weather!
BW: How do you prepare for such potentially wacky weather?
EB: Out of the last 13 years, I think I have only been welcomed to Aurora with sunny weather for two. There will always be contingency plans in place and I know they are very top of mind this year in terms of what activities the event organizers will be putting on. As you might remember, I was welcomed to Aurora in an ice storm a couple of years ago and last year we had some liquid sunshine, so like I said, my ears are crossed we’ll have better weather.
BW: What are event organizers doing to keep things fresh this year?
EB: There’s always something new. I know this activity has been at many Town of Aurora events, but I have never had the pleasure of having an inflatable at my own event. As you know, the Town plans this whole event just for me and I understand there will actually be a bouncy castle for the kids. Hopefully they will get their energy spent so when they come to meet me, sit on my lap and take my photo, they will be calm enough to have a conversation with me!
BW: This is a very busy time of year for you, so do you need a helping hand with this event?
EB: We are very much supported by the Aurora Girl Guides. Their Rangers division comes out in full force, so thank goodness for those Girl Guide leaders who bring in the troops. We’re also very fortunate to have lots of student volunteers from the community. I understand there are over 40 of them alone coming in, so it is great to have that much support because that also adds to ensure that the kids who are doing activities will have that much more fun because everything runs smoothly. There are some familiar faces, so it is always nice to see the faces of kids’ whose homes I’ve visited on Easter Morning; seeing them older now and out volunteering is very rewarding for me.
BW: How do you make sure you get to meet and greet the hundreds and hundreds of people who come out for this?
EB: I think I have the best seat in the house because they’re placing me in the luxurious – I think – Petch House. People can walk through Petch House at the Christmas Tree Lighting and the Easter Egg Hunt, but there is a lot of curiosity about what it looks like inside. So, yes, I’ve got one of the best seats in the house.
BW: Aurora is a growing community, so there might be a few people spending their first Easter in Aurora. What would you say to encourage the newbies to come out and meet you for the first time?
EB: They have to hop on down. There is so much excitement and they will get their first welcome and feeling as to what a great community Aurora is when they start making community connections. When they line up for an activity and they meet the neighbour in the line up they will realise there is a connection there and that is where the jewel of Aurora comes into being! It is still a small town.
For more information on the 2018 Easter Egg Hunt, visit www.aurora.ca/easteregghunt or call 905-726-4762.