SAVANNAH — Hundreds of eager children gathered inside Bethel Chapel on a rainy Saturday.
Their mission: to fill their empty baskets with as many Easter eggs as their little fingers could grab.
But first, the kids — aged 1 to 11 — were made to do one of the hardest things a little person is asked to do.
Wait.
Just beyond several doors inside the church lay 10,000 bright-colored, plastic eggs filled with candy and other surprises. The kids knew this — expected this — it is in fact Easter weekend in the United States.
But there were more important things to be said and taught — like the message of Easter and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So they waited — or something like it. It was like the adults were a dam. The kids, gushing water.
At last, the dam gave, releasing the animated children who quickly discovered their hunt wouldn’t actually begin. Instead, they would wait again. This time, however, the waiting would happen in one of two massive lines destined for age-categorized rooms.
The water had siphoned into slow-moving rivers.
Once inside the Easter egg “hunt” rooms, the children’s eyes grew wide with the revelation their baskets and bags would soon fill with colorful eggs which littered nearly every square inch of the floor.
“I can see them,” said one child, around the age of 5. “And I can see them extra good — I have my glasses on.”
A volunteer blew a whistle and the children, relieved of waiting, pounced on the eggs with the energy of unbridled water filling a valley.
“Look mom!” one proclaimed, holding up a bright yellow egg.
“There! I found it!”
“Over there!”
Most of the eggs contained little treats and candies. But some of them contained a ticket to larger prizes — 50 brand new bikes and various toys.
Bethel Chapel, formerly known as Bethel Baptist Church, organizes the massive Easter egg hunt at the church’s Savannah site every year.
The event — which draws hundreds from the area — according to the Rev. John Bouquet, typically takes place outside.
Rain and lightning in the area moved the hunt indoors, however.
This year, LifeWise Academy sponsored the event. The nonprofit offers Bible-based instruction programming for public school students during school hours under released time laws.
The event drew crowds to the church for its 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. hunt times. Guests had the option of grabbing lunch from the Chick-fil-A food truck parked in the parking lot. The Looney Lemon offered refreshments.
