Pipestone Flyer
It is rumoured that just before Easter, a little-used path in Warburg magically turns into the famed Bunny Trail. Incredibly, the extraordinary trail has been discovered--leading directly to Easter Bunny’s Workshop. Inside the workshop, a dedicated team of nine Hopper’s Helpers - bearing a remarkable resemblance to Ousana Brackley; Emma Gooler; Diana Hemminger; and Ella, Emma, Jonathan, Konrad, Krista, and Roman Kohl—were busily placing candy in thousands of coloured plastic eggs—4384 to be eggsact—in preparation for the 9th Annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 4, at the Warburg Community Park. About the work area, filled eggs crammed into large clear plastic bags were tucked into nooks and crannies awaiting the big day.
It takes the experienced team two-and-a-half hours to assemble 1000 eggs. “It is a bit harder to find matching tops and bottoms at the end (of the assembly process),” said the head Hopper Helper Krista, “so it goes a bit slower.” The tedious stuffing process is clearly a labour of love. Why do they do it? “We like the happy looks on the kids’ faces!” chimed many of the little helpers, unprompted and more than once.
An unexpected overnight six-inch dump of snow made this year’s event a true hunt. The Kohl family rallied to Easter Bunny’s call for distribution assistance. With a grin, former Warburg Mayor Dawson Kohl said, “We went out this morning and just started tossing eggs, and then watched them sink.” Event coordinator, Krista Kohl said they held off for as long as possible because the snow was not letting up. She described creating little trails in the snow as they placed the eggs to make it easier for little kids. Their efforts were much appreciated by the 164 registered participants who ranged in age from 0 to 12. Easter Bunny made sure that 5 babies, too young to walk, also received special treat bags.
The Warburg Pioneer Ag Society donated complimentary juice boxes and the 180 hot dogs that were served by Shelly Davis and Chris Pankewitz.
The Ag Society also sponsored its first Easter Scavenger Hunt. 24 local businesses and clubs invented clues for 80 participants, working in 28 teams. A few participants discovered businesses they did not know existed in town. Warburg CAO Chris Pankewitz reports that a few businesses are already thinking of harder clues for next year. There were five early-bird prizes, and various businesses donated gifts presented to the first fourteen successful participants.
Two B’s Flowers & Bistro also donated a lovely gift basket for the draw.