Egg-stra, Egg-stra: Kids Hop Down the Bunny Trail

The Easter Bunny made a grand entrance on a big red fire truck at the annual Easter egg hunt in Canonsburg Town Park on Saturday. The event, co-sponsored by the and the , was a huge success thanks to excited kids and excellent weather.

Before the start of the hunt, children of all ages lined up for a photo op with their favorite springtime celebrity. The Easter Bunny posed with hundreds of kids and handed out treats.

Mason Jim McPeake volunteered for the event. He stood behind the Easter Bunny and eagerly refilled the bunny’s basket with chocolate when his stash ran low.

Canonsburg Mayor David H. Rhome welcomed everyone to the park and thanked a long list of sponsors, including Sarris Candies, Moe’s Southwest Grill and many more. He promised the parents that no child would leave without getting a treat.

Children ages 12 and younger participated in the event. They gathered into their respective age groups and were assigned designated areas to hunt. The littlest ones had nice flat areas with very visible eggs, while the 11- and 12-year-olds scoured the hillside for some harder-to-spot targets. Some of the eggs had a ticket taped to the underside. The children who captured those eggs won larger prizes.

Isabella Street, 6, was one of the lucky winners. The girl, who attends St. Patrick School, won a golf set, cookies, candy and coupons. Elizabeth Kline, 10, visiting her cousins from Virginia Beach, won a giant chocolate bunny. Stellanie Loutsion, from the Canon-McMillan school district, also took home one of the big bunnies.

Police Chief R. T. Bell said, “This is one of the best year’s we’ve had! It’s such a great event.”

Councilman Tim Bilsky said, “I’m glad to be here. It’s so fun for the kids.”

Fire Chief Thomas Lawrence praised his firefighters, Howard and Dale Rhome, co-chairs of the annual Easter egg event. When Dale Rhome asked him if he wanted to say something about the event, Lawrence joked, “The Rhomes can take care of this. I’ll take the fire calls.”

Another member of the Rhome family, Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome, said, “Every year this gets bigger and bigger. The Canonsburg police, fire department and merchants throughout the community come together to make this a really successful event. It is the start of what I hope will be a blessed Easter.”

The Easter egg hunt was free, but Howard Rhome at the Canonsburg Volunteer Fire Department at 724-746-1014 or Mayor David Rhome at 724-745-1800 x 16 will continue to accept donations.