Parks department planning Monroe Easter egg hunt

The Monroe Parks Department is starting to plan this year's Community Easter Egg Hunt and asking local business owners and community members to participate.-á -á

The first planning meeting of the season takes place 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, in the PW Conference Room at the Donnetta Walser Building, 769 Village Way in Monroe. Volunteers are needed to help with the event, including vendor set-up and takedown, field monitoring, egg distribution, face-painting and litter clean-up. Volunteers are also needed to coordinate with local mascots, including Sparky the Fire Dog, McGruff the Crime Dog and the Monroe High School Bearcat.

Financial donations are still needed to help support the event, and will be used to purchase eggs, candy and prizes. Local businesses are invited to participate by hosting booths during the event.

The Easter Egg Hunt is a collaborative effort coordinated by the Monroe Parks Department with help from the volunteer Egg Hunt Planning Committee. This year's event takes place 9-11 a.m. Saturday, March 26, at Lake Tye Park, and will mark the Easter egg hunt's 20th year in Monroe. The event is free to attend, and features vendor booths and other activities. The egg hunt begins promptly at 10 a.m., and attendance is being estimated at around 2,000 people.-á

So far, fifth-grade students from the Monroe Christian School have volunteered to fill 12,000 Easter eggs with candy supplied by the parks department, and Jerry "Big DogGÇ¥ Dixon has signed on as the event's volunteer emcee.

Sharinabean's mobile coffee stand owner Sharina McCrain will set up shop in the Lake Tye concession area, selling coffee drinks, hot chocolate and pastries.-á

There are many ways for local businesses to get involved in the event, including hosting a booth, making a monetary donation or providing a group of volunteers. Businesses participating in any of those ways are eligible to have the name of the business announced during the event and will be listed on the official Easter Egg Hunt flyer. Participating business are also invited to hang banners on the fence at Lake Tye Park during the event.

Because Monroe's Community Easter Egg Hunt is free for attendees, businesses are not permitted to sell goods or services during the event.

To find out how to get involved, contact Denise Jacobsen with the Monroe Parks Department at djacobsen@monroewa.gov.