Area nursing homes celebrated Easter by hosting events for the community. Heritage Health Care and Diversicare of Chanute hosted egg hunts for local children on Thursday, April 17.
At Heritage Health Care, kids searched for a golden egg and picked up candy scattered through the hunting grounds.
According to Activity Director Marlana Jones, a single golden egg was hidden in each section, correlating with a special prize. Children aged 0-13 are divided into three age groups; 0-3 yearolds, 4-7 year-olds, and 8-13 year-olds. Jones said she has organized the egg hunt for 13 years. Jones said the golden egg prizes were donated by Amber Helman, a local realtor.
“It’s good for the residents to have a connection with the community,” Jones said.
Other annual celebrations at Heritage Health Care include: the Hot Dogs and Hot Rods Car Show, a Fourth of July event, Water Wars, Fall Festival, a Halloween event, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
“Just about every quarter we do something,” Jones said.
Nursing home residents received big smiles from 2-year-old Wade Steinert, who attended the egg hunt with his mother, Bailey Morris, for the first time. Wade particularly enjoyed seeing the Easter Bunny.
“We came just for him to have fun,” Morris said.
Diversicare of Chanute’s egg hunt broke children into four age groups: 0-3 yearolds, 4-6 year-olds, 7-9 yearolds, and 10-13 year-olds. The egg hunt consisted of eggs filled with candy and two special prizes per age group.
There was also an inflatable obstacle course and performances by the Snow Sisters and SpiderHero from SEK Princesses.
“It’s good for kids to interact with the elderly in the community,” Activity Director Kaisya Hull said. “It’s good for the residents to socialize too.”
Hull said the event has been done for many years, but it was her first year to organize the annual egg hunt.
“Communities thrive and it brings us closer together, when we get together like this,” Hull said.
