Fall River Easter egg hunt brings out the kid in everyone

FALL RIVER — The hoot came from under the foot bridge at the Lash Center for Teaching and Learning at Bristol Community College, and sure enough Debra Almeida had uncovered a coveted golden egg.

“I looked under the bushes and in every single pipe I could see. I ruffled leaves...”

Almeida of Tiverton was happy with the find, knowing the golden egg held one of the finer prizes in the first-ever adult Easter egg hunt, a St. Vincent’s fundraiser held at Bristol Saturday.

The sold-out event brought out the kid in some 350 adults who sought out hidden eggs at the Bristol grounds, as their Easter baskets, many of them decorated for the Best Basket competition, swayed at their sides. Some wore bunny ears as they searched high and low.

“It was a total sell-out,” said Jenny Reis, St. Vincent’s director of development. “Adults want to have fun, too.”

Staffers hid some 3,600 colored, plastic eggs containing 1,400 prizes such as candy, nips and gift cards, including 10 gold eggs with grand prizes such as $100 or more in gift cards, vouchers for bottles of wine and other goodies.

The event cost $40 per person and included the hunt, basket competition, pub-style appetizers, cash bar and live entertainment.

“People are already asking if we can do it a second time,” Reis said. “People were even scalping tickets on Facebook.”

The event, St. Vincent’s most successful event “ever,” Reis said, raised $25,000 between ticket sales and sponsorship from local businesses. Funds will be used for St. Vincent’s life-skills programs that teaches adolescents driving, job search, cooking, banking and more.

Drew Pion – holding a "Game of Thrones"-themed Easter basket — and Debra Pion of New Bedford were ready for the hunt, searching for clues they’d heard were posted on social media.

“He’s hardcore,” Debra Pion said.

Local Rotary Club members were ready when the hunt began at 5 p.m.

“This is awesome,” said Joan Medeiros, Bristol County Savings Bank vice president. “It’s something different. It’s a great job by St. Vincent’s.”

Dawn Rusin, Re/Max Right Choice broker, with her mom Denise Martin, were hoping for a golden egg.

“That’s what I want,” Martin said.

Dora Botelho of New Bedford said she was hoping for “at least one golden egg.” Her daughter Alyssa Botelho said she just wanted “to have fun with my mom.”

Aajai Dube of Berkley got lucky and found a golden egg in a storm drain.

“I usually never win anything,” she said.

Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com