Scenes From 2016 Roosevelt Island Egg Hunt At Manhattan Park Lawn - 1,500 People, 300 Families, 12,000 Eggs, 50 Volunteers, Donations, Plenty Of Fun For The Kids & CERT Crowd Control Too

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Annual Egg Hunt took place

(You Tube Video From Renate)

Saturday March 26 under bright and sunny skies at the Manhattan Park lawn.

Another successful egg hunt on Roosevelt Island (other than the 5-year-old outing the Easter Bunny's true identity). https://t.co/FBN6pBcwbe

— Nick Turner (@SFNick) March 26, 2016

RIRA Social, Cultural & Educational Egg Hunt Committee Co-Chairs Shauna Howard and Julie Adegite report:

The Annual Egg Hunt at the central lawn in Manhattan Park was a resounding success, with more than 1,500 people representing more than 300 families, a turnout that was near-record attendance.

We had a perfect day in terms of joyful children, beaming adults, participant and volunteer turn-out, cooperation, and weather.

The centerpiece of the event was the dash for more than 12,000 plastic eggs, with one round for children ages three to five years old, followed by a separate dash with children ages six to eight years of age.

The eggs, which had been prepared by more than 50 volunteers, were stuffed with stickers, temporary tattoos, finger puppets, rubber erasers, plastic dinosaurs and tiny stuffed animals. The most sought after eggs contained a colored ticket; these were redeemed for prizes. Every child received a book before she or he left the lawn area.

Participants are reminded to please re-cycle the plastic eggs at Coach Scot’s Main Street Sweets.

Children ages one to three played in a separate area, where they looked for rubber duckies. Because these toys are larger than the plastic eggs and not breakable, they meet the non-choke standards for toddlers. According to Lynne Strong Shinozaki,

EGG HUNT #Roosevelt-Island with the best Bunny Ever 2016 pic.twitter.com/Hz4ARqFpDG

— Lynne Shinozaki (@LASHINOZAKI) March 28, 2016

Roosevelt Island is one of the few locations where the under three year-olds have their own safety-oriented event. Toddlers received a book and a stuffed animal, while supplies lasted.

As the children scampered around Manhattan Park’s lawn, others took in the fun activities and their parents and other family members watched them enjoy the day.

The giant pink and white Easter bunny hugged and high-fived everyone in sight!

There was a table of crafts for bonnet-making. Students of Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance performed. Councilmember Ben Kallos greeted the attendees.

I want to thnk the Easter Bunny and all the Upper East Side residents who came out today for the Egg hunt #RIRA #SAC pic.twitter.com/Py8WFyKs5J

— Ben Kallos (@BenKallos) March 26, 2016

Thanks to the donations of many companies and organizations, the Social, Cultural and Education Committee was able to produce this event with very low expenses, making it the most significant fundraiser of the year for RIRA.

Breakfast food was donated by New Yorker Bagels in Astoria. Baskets filled with chocolate and prizes were contributed by Costco, Roosevelt Landings/Urban American and Manhattan Park. Creche du Monde donated 100 stuffed animals, 48 toys and a large number of tiny bottles of bubbles. Starbucks contributed bags to collect eggs. Bike New York gave a child’s bicycle helmet.

New this year was the advance online registration. The combined publicity of RIRA Facebook page, Twitter posts, notices distributed to every door in Roosevelt Landings, email to building networks and posters on the kiosks contributed to more than 100 families signing up in advance. Walk-on guests were accommodated with on-site registration. About 10 children who requested it received entry at no-fee, thanks to sponsors.

The SCE Committee thanks the many volunteers who made the event so successful: Girl Scouts of Roosevelt Island (poster design, egg stuffers, distributed eggs, helped at bonnet table); Island Kids (volunteers, tables, supplies); Manhattan Park (Beautiful Central Park, meeting room space, set-up equipment, prizes) and Roosevelt Island Parents’ Network (volunteers, toys, prizes, books in non-English language) and other residents.

Several organizations attended the event and shared information of interest to the community: PS/IS 217 PTA encouraged parents to vote in participatory budgeting to secure additional funds for the green roof at the school. Rosana Ceruzzi’s, Wildlife Freedom Foundation and Dan Sadlier’s Roosevelt Island Center of Community Development.

We hope Roosevelt Islands’ children enjoy reading their new books as we continue to encourage them to share and be good citizens.

The Roosevelt Island Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) performed crowd control duties. CERT Team member Frank Farance shares these photos and reports:

CERT deployment at Easter Egg Hunt the crowd control working very well: participants on the sidewalk, CERT members in the street. Nice working with everyone today!

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Department Director Jack McManus adds:

I just wanted to extend my appreciation to the members of the Cert Team that graciously lent their support to the Easter Egg Hunt. This is the second year in a row that the Cert Team managed crowd control and traffic at this event, rendering the area safe for all those who participated. This event attracts large numbers of children and parents and the Public Safety Department appreciates the help of the Cert Team. Frank's photos graphically document the Team's efforts. Thank you again.