Church Volunteers Prep 12,000 Easter Eggs by Hand for Kids

While most people are still thinking about Valentine's Day, a team of volunteers in Salem is already preparing for Easter by stuffing thousands of eggs by hand.

For the past five years, 13 volunteers from First Christian Church's Koinonia Sunday School have gathered to prepare more than 12,000 eggs for Salem's annual community Easter egg hunt. They begin their work months in advance, meeting regularly to fill and carefully tape shut each egg so it won't pop open when scattered across Waterworth Memorial Park.

"We're so thankful for the volunteers from the church because stuffing all those eggs was always the hardest part," said Robin Whitehair, Manager at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Stouffer Realty, which partners with Salem Parks Department to host the event.

John Panezott, who teaches at the Sunday school and serves as Parks Commission President, assembled the volunteer team when the partnership began in 2020. He knew he could gather people who would both tackle the tedious work and genuinely enjoy the process.

The formula works beautifully. The volunteers spend their sessions stuffing and sealing eggs together, then head out for dinner as a group when they finish for the day.

"We really have a lot of fun together. We look forward to it every year," said Panezott.

Sunny's Take

There's something beautiful about a group of people gathering months in advance to create magic for children they'll never meet. These volunteers could easily say the job is too big or too time-consuming. Instead, they've turned it into a tradition they genuinely cherish, complete with friendship and shared meals.

Their dedication makes it possible for approximately 1,500 children aged 10 and under to experience the joy of an Easter egg hunt at no cost to their families. The free event on April 4 will feature separate search times for three age groups, special prize eggs, a visit from the Easter Bunny, and help from the local fire department.

The volunteers have already prepared thousands of eggs and recently met for their second prep session of the year. By the time April arrives, every single one of those 12,000 eggs will have passed through their hands and been sealed with care.