Church holds Easter egg hunt for local families despite cold

Despite arctic winds and no helicopter, about 300 parents and children came out Saturday morning to dig in the snow for 4,000 Easter eggs.

The Catalyst Church in Kent sponsored the egg hunt and held it in a subdivided field near Stow-Munroe Falls High School.

The eggs were originally supposed to be dropped by helicopter onto the field, but Jonathan Herron, lead pastor at the Catalyst Church, said the winter weather made flying conditions impossible.

This did not stop children in fifth grade and under, some barely big enough to hold their colorful baskets, from hungrily combing for rainbow-colored eggs to the tune of projected rock music.

“Our church is about solid theology, but we’re liberal in our culture,” Herron said. “Jesus was deeply relational. He was about hanging out with people and sharing the love of God with others. So, we wanted to throw a free event where the community could come together. I’m not going to give a message, but just say, ‘Hey, did you have a good time? Check out Catalyst. If you like it, cool. If not, cool.'”

An officer from the Kent City Police Department helped direct traffic on Fairchild Avenue while 25 church volunteers assisted families with tasks such as parking and registering.

Senior theater major Kristin Benner helped 7-year-old Casey, a second grader at Longcoy Elementary School, separate her eggs from her bubblegum after the hunt.

“Her mom called me up about the egg drop after she read about it in the paper,” Benner said. “We’re in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. She thought it would be a fun thing for us to do, and we had a good time.”

Among the hidden prizes in the eggs were assorted candies and slips for some lucky children to receive an iTunes gift card or one of three iPod Minis. The church purchased all prizes through donations made by members.

“I’d love to make this an annual thing,” Herron said. “We’re willing to take risks as long as we’re not compromising our faith. If it’s bringing family together, we’re for it. That’s what we’re all about.”

Contact public affairs reporter Ally Melling at [email protected].