The dark clouds and the rain on Saturday, April 1, didn’t keep participants away from Yelm City Park as young residents searched for 30,000 eggs that were scattered about.
The second annual Easter egg hunt, organized by Yelm Outpost Church, featured three different start times for groups spanning up to the age of 10.
“We have about (500) to 600 pounds of candy to hand out,” Pastor Devin Wood said prior to the start of the Easter egg hunts.
Wood said the kids traded in their eggs for candy.
“Come to find out, the parents really like that,” he said. “It’s not like they get a ton of candy and they don’t have to bring the Easter eggs home. It’s nice being able to recycle the eggs.”
After the event, Wood said there were close to 1,000 people who attended and braved the wet conditions in search of some holiday cheer.
“The weather didn’t hold out for us whatsoever, but as soon as it was over, the skies cleared,” he said. “It was great. We had the chance to connect with a lot of new people. The feedback we got was overwhelming in support of the event.”
Wood said the City of Yelm collaborated with Outpost Church to help organize the Easter egg hunt.
“The City of Yelm was great in helping market the event and them being here with the passport program has been awesome,” Wood said.
Kids were able to collect a sticker during the event for the city’s “sticker shop,” which encourages students to be active in Yelm’s park. Officials from the city also helped register people during the event.
Line Roy, with the City of Yelm, said the stickers at the event included Easter eggs and Easter bunnies.
“We’re a city with a ton of families with young kids, but not a lot to do for these young kids,” Wood said. “There isn’t a laser tag, or skating rink for these kids to get out and do. Keeping a steady stream of these events going is what we want to do at the Outpost Church.”
Stephanie Clary and Katie Bloomingdale, with Highway 507 Young Life, volunteered at the event.
“Personally, it’s heartwarming to be out here volunteering. It’s great to be involved in this capacity instead of a spectator because my family is going to be involved today, too. The community bonding is awesome,” Bloomingdale said. “We’re not affiliated with any church in the area, which is kind of what I like. Young Life wants to teach you that Jesus loves you no matter what kind of person you are.”
Clary said the group meets on Monday nights every other week at Yelm High School. The group’s next meetings are scheduled for April 10, April 24, May 8 and May 22.
Wood also mentioned Outpost Church will hold two Easter Sunday services at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
“The service lasts around an hour and we’d love for anybody to come and join us,” Wood said.
For those who missed the Easter egg hunt, there are still plenty of opportunities to join in on the fun.
Other events scheduled in the area include:
• The Skookumchuck Grange and the Tenino FFA will present a free Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 8 at 11 a.m. at the Skookumchuck Grange at 5345 Skookumchuck Road SE in Tenino. A $5 pancake breakfast will also be available from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
• The Yelm Moose Lodge will host vendors and food during its Easter sale and egg hunt, which is presented by Traveling Treasures, on Saturday, April 8. The sale will go from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Egg hunt times are 11 a.m. for ages 0-2, noon for ages 3-5, 1 p.m. for ages 6 to 10, 2 p.m. for ages 11 to 15 and 3 p.m. for ages 16 to 18. Professional photos will be available for $10.
• Eggs will rain down at the second annual helicopter egg drop hosted by the American Legion Post 164 in Yelm on Saturday, April 8. From 8 to 11 a.m., there will be breakfast for a $7 donation. At 11 a.m., the Easter festivities will begin with face painting, games, a petting zoo, vendors and the helicopter egg drop. The post is located at 16733 103rd Ave. SE in Yelm.
• We Love Rainier WA will host its annual Easter egg hunt at 2 p.m. at Wilkowski Park on Saturday, April 8. There will be candy, prizes and more. The event is free to attend. Egg hunt times are set for 2:10 p.m. for ages 0 to 4, 2:30 p.m. for ages 5 to 7, 2:50 p.m. for ages 8 to 11, 3:10 p.m. for ages 12 to 17 and 3:30 p.m. for adults. The family-friendly event is free to attend.
• The Yelm Eagles will host its Easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 13 at 10:30 a.m. There will be four age groups: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12 years old. This is a free event and people can take pictures with the Easter Bunny.
