Hundreds participate in Easter egg hunts despite wintry conditions

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Easter egg hunts are a longstanding tradition for many families and community organizations.

For a couple of those organizations in the Rapid City area, leaders worried snow and wind would deter people from attending. If anything, the opposite proved true, as hundreds turned up to Box Elder Police Department’s “Hop with a Cop” and Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board’s “Eggstravaganza.”

“This is my first Hop with a Cop that I’ve been a part of,” said Derek Wingfield, public information officer for the City of Box Elder. “According to everybody I’ve talked to, this is way more people than we’ve ever had involved before.”

Countless children roamed the Box Elder Event Center, searching for their share of 5,000 eggs. Hop with a Cop also featured special prizes, cotton candy, and visits with the Easter Bunny, all promoting positive relationships with law enforcement for the children in attendance.

This wasn’t the only Saturday egg hunt exceeding expectations, Eggstravaganza organizers moved their festivities indoors at the Oyate Health Center and saw similar results. Eggstravaganza came as part of a series of monthly events hosted by the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board to promote healthy lifestyles and sobriety from alcohol and drugs. This egg hunt had a twist, three golden eggs were hidden among the others, and the children who found them got to head home with a brand-new bike.

Challenging weather forced organizers of both events to adapt on the fly. With hundreds attending the hunts bookending Rapid City, it is safe to say these adaptations paid off.

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