by Steven Falzarano
We had another incredible and hugely successful Trinity Park Neighborhood Association (TPNA) Egg Hunt this past March 31st! Mother nature provided us with a gorgeous day on Duke East Campus for families to come out and help find the hidden eggs. I think we had a record turnout of kids, parents, grandparents, and all family members who joined us in the festivities! Everyone enjoyed seeing neighbors and friends for a morning of community and fun! This is what being a neighborhood is all about!
This year we managed to hide almost 3000 eggs, filled with candy and prizes. And no egg was left to hatch! We also had 60 Golden Tickets hidden in those eggs, which entitled the lucky holder to a larger prize! It was so exciting to see all of the children lined up and ready to rush out and find the eggs, and their excited faces as they “cracked” them open to find the goodies and prizes! We also had the Easter Bunny on hand to greet the children and take pictures, as well as a raffle benefiting the Duke Children’s Hospital.
The raffle was run by Alpha Phi sorority to benefit the Duke Children’s Hospital. Alpha Phi has been partnering with TPNA for a number of years to help make the Annual Egg Hunt a fun and memorable time for the kids. This year we raffled off two fabulous Easter baskets and chocolate Bunnies. We also raised about $210 which was donated to the Duke Children’s Hospital. A special Thanks to Kelsey Lansdale and all of the Alpha Phi sisters who participated in hosting the raffle and making the event a huge success.
We also had Durham County Beekeepers Association President and Trinity Park Neighborhood Association board member Matthew Yearout display a live working bee hive! Kids of all ages were entertained and educated by Matthew on the importance of bees in our environment. Thank you, Matthew, for sharing your bees!
And pulling off such an event is no easy task, but thankfully, our neighbors and friends at Duke once again stepped up to help make this a successful event. Many thanks to the folks who helped make this happen. First, enormous thanks to my co-coordinator Can Dickerson who coordinated all of the Golden Tickets and prizes, and for helping to stuff eggs! Your efforts are greatly appreciated! I’d also like to thank Sam Miglarese and April Dudash from the Duke Office of Durham and Regional Affairs, who donated many of the Golden Ticket prizes and candy, and for their general support and advertising of the event. Trinity Park is fortunate to have such a wonderful neighbor and partner as Duke University!
And a special thanks to all of the members of the Durham School of the Arts Octagon Community Service Club who volunteered on a Saturday morning – you were a tremendous help! We could not have, hidden all those eggs without you! And to the club member who graciously volunteered to be the Easter Bunny – You did a fabulous job and made the kids very happy! Special thanks as well to teacher and Octagon Club advisor Theresa DelDotto for helping to coordinate the students. This really was a community wide event!
Lastly, thanks to the Trinity Park Neighborhood Association for supporting the Annual Egg Hunt, and to all of the neighbors who donated candy and prizes, helped stuff eggs, and volunteering to help with the event: Murphy family, Dickerson family, Katy Dillard, Phillip Beal, Jennifer Sparrow, Deb Dobbins, Paul Cardile, Jody White, Kristin Jantz, Susanna Naggie, Matthew Yearout. Hopefully I didn’t leave anyone out and my apologies if I have. Your help was greatly appreciated!
Lastly, please mark your calendars for the next Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 20, 2019!
