The Easter Bunny was seen hopping busily in a field near the lake, hiding almost 2,000 candy-filled plastic eggs and organizing special prizes for the community Easter Egg Hunt in Lake Riverside Estates Saturday, April 1. The event was the twenty-first annual Easter celebration orchestrated by LRE resident Cristina Thudium.
Almost 50 families with about 85 excited children readied their colorful baskets and festive buckets in anticipation as they prepared to locate as many eggs as possible. Excitement and chaos erupted as children scrambled for the eggs, separated into various age groups.
This year there were over 1,650 candy-filled eggs hidden in a grassy field near the lake. All the children went home with goodies in their baskets.
Parents pre-registered their children so Thudium could anticipate egg and prize needs for each age division. There is no lack of dedicated volunteers to assist with this special event. Thudium had been lining up volunteers, securing donations, preparing eggs and prizes and promoting the hunt for weeks. Under her guidance, the volunteers worked diligently to make the event fun and run efficiently.
“Many of my dear LRE friends, their children and mine have all helped with this task over the years and I am forever grateful! I love seeing new families involved and also the ones who come back in their late teens/early 20s to help set up for an event that was such a special part of their lives growing up. It’s my pleasure to bring some happiness to everyone who participates,” she said.
The event was assisted by both residents and donors near and far that answered requests for donations via local social media groups.
“The first hunt was in 2002. I mentioned to my good friends, Sibylle Rosamond and Mary Kapple that an Easter Egg Hunt at the lake for our kids and any other LRE kids able to come would be fun. It would definitely be a lot easier than having to pack up the kids and drive down the hill to Temecula,” Thudium said. “Sibylle, Mary and I, along with Marge Buschman and Gloria Minert, provided hand potted plants and other goodies for the hunt. There were probably 20 kids who participated that year. With each consecutive year, through trial and error, the setup and organization has improved, donations have grown and more children have participated.”
Unfortunately, the celebration did not take place in 2020, due to pandemic health mandates.
Preparations for the hunt take place all year, as Thudium seeks after-Easter deals of stuffed animals, plastic eggs, toys, books, art supplies and more. Residents and local businesses such as the Anza Pizza Factory, La Cocina, and Missy’s Place 15th Hole Bar and Grill contribute gift certificates and more. Volunteers spend hours stuffing plastic eggs with candy, toys and stickers in the days before the event.
“When children are signed up for the hunt, parents are asked if they would donate filled eggs and candy, to add to the arsenal of prizes the kids can scoop up,” Thudium said.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia.com.
