The township hosted its annual Easter egg hunt at the Deptford Community Center’s gymnasium on March 23.
Dozens of families came out despite the rainy weather outside. The event kicked off at 9:30 a.m. with kids ages 3 and under. Each group was split into 20-minute intervals, with kids 4 through 6 taking off at 9:50 a.m. and those 7 through 9 starting at 10:10.
“What a beautiful day for an Easter egg hunt,” said Recreation Director Charlie Kirchner, “We usually have it outside, but because of the rain we came inside. This is year two of having it inside, but we make it work.”
Eggs were scattered throughout the gym floor, which was adorned with Easter decorations. Kids got to collect a maximum of five eggs per basket to ensure that each participant got an equal number.
Awaiting the participants at the end of the hunt were bags of candy and free photos with the Easter bunny in a separate room of the community center. In attendance were Mayor Paul Medany, Deputy Mayor Tom Hufnell, members of the Deptford council and Gloucester County Commissioner Frank DiMarco.
“The turnout is fantastic considering the weather, with 2 to 3 inches of rain,” said Medany. “I would say it’s almost as crowded as if it were a sunny day.”
The egg hunt’s location at the community center meant that in case of inclement weather, things could be moved inside more easily.
“That’s why we started having it here at the community center,” Medany explained. “So just in case something happened, it’s an easier move from outside to inside, getting it in the gym. Thank God we got the gym, so it worked out fantastic.”
“We’re so thankful we have this property from the mayor and council,” said Kirchner. “We got it (the community center) a few years ago. We use it for basketball here in the gym, for different events, the classrooms. We have a great art program. If your children love art, we have the best art program in the county right here in this building.”
Upcoming spring events in Deptford include the Earth Day Cleanup at the municipal building on Saturday April 20; the craft and market fair at the community center on Saturday May 18; and the Memorial Day Ceremony on Sunday, May 26.
