Easter is right around the corner and so will be Easter egg hunts bringing out swarms of kids eager to drop as many eggs in their basket as possible.
But what if your child has special needs? A traditional egg hunt is not designed around their challenges.
Norcross has worked to change that. Assistant city manager and director of public works, utilities and parks Mary Beth Bender sees to it that every child has an opportunity to celebrate Easter.
“I don’t want any child not have a place to go and no child is left out at this event,” she said. “The first year I had ten children show up and now we have over 200 that attend our Easter egg hunt.”
Partnering with Spectrum, an Autism support group, the event is coordinated and designed for children with special needs.
Along with the Easter bunny, an interpreter and service dog, several Disney princesses from Dream a Little Dream Entertainment will be there bringing smiles to the event.
Each “need” has a separate area to provide a safe yet fun experience.
Beeping eggs, funded and constructed by the Atlanta field division of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives of International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators, are scattered out for the visually impaired.
For each beeping egg collected, a bag of candy is given to the child.
Butterfly nets are given to those in wheelchairs to scoop up eggs.
Quiet tents will be set up that include bean bag chairs for those who have become overstimulated or overwhelmed.
The event includes the parents and siblings of those with special needs.
After the Easter egg hunt, a picnic lunch will be held by Spectrum. The Norcross Masonic Lodge will provide the food for the cookout and the Red Popcorn Wagon will be including bags of popcorn.
There will be some sensory-fun areas along with face painters and a bubble entertainer.
“This is my favorite event out of the 312 we held last year,” Bender said. “I have parents that come up to me and say with all sincerity ‘If Norcross didn’t do this we would have nowhere to go’.”
Address: Rossie Brundage Park, 350 Autry St., Norcross on April 11 from 1 - 2:30 p.m.
RSVP for the Easter egg hunt at www.aplacetoimagine.com
Each Sunday we write about a deserving person or charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To submit a story for us to cover, email us at ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
