EASTER EGG HUNT WILL BE HELD TODAY AT CAPAHA PARK

"I love the Easter bunny because I believe in him," 4-year-old Courtney Carr said.

Carr had just met -- and hugged -- the world's most famous bunny on Friday, the day before the annual Easter egg hunt. The hunt, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, will be held today beginning at 10 a.m. at Capaha Park.

The Easter bunny, portrayed by parks worker Jeff Golden, took a few minutes Friday to play with children at Arena Park and let them know about the big Easter egg hunt.

For children through 5, the egg hunt will begin at 10 a.m. Children 5 through 10 can begin hunting at 11:30 a.m. Parents are asked to bring baskets to hold the eggs and other goodies.

The event is better organized this year, said recreation programmer Chris Eastridge.

He said some minor improvements should make the egg hunt more fair. The most important change is the way the groups of children are divided. The new groups of egg-hunters will be ages 1-2, 3-4, and 5-10. In years past there were only two groups: through 5 and 5 through 10.

Eastridge said that didn't work out very well. Apparently, older children found eggs easier than the younger ones, he said.

"Some children didn't get eggs in years past," Eastridge said. "Hopefully, the new division of age groups will see that doesn't happen."

There will also be parks department employees giving eggs to the younger children who don't find any, he said.

About 3,500 eggs will be filled with candy and coupons that will allow children to get toys and three loaded Easter baskets.

A Space Walk, a self-contained balloon play structure, will also be on-hand for kids to play on while they wait for the egg hunt to begin, Eastridge said.

In addition to the Easter bunny, Chuck E. Cheese is scheduled to greet and entertain children.

Eastridge said last year about 550 children attended the Easter egg hunt. He expects that many or more this year.

"Kids really love the Easter egg hunt," Eastridge said. "They like to hunt the eggs and see the Easter bunny. It's just a lot of fun."