Broadway Field was transformed into a garden of colorful eggs last Saturday as the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District brought back its beloved springtime tradition, the community Easter egg hunt.

“It was so great to be able to have all the kids here,” said Melissa Ousley, manager of marketing and special events for the park district. “Normally, it’s one of our most popular events.”

The free community egg hunt took place in the morning, with roughly 400 people in attendance. Children up to age 6 were invited onto the field in waves of 250 or less to collect thousands of scattered eggs filled with candy. The intention was to limit the number of people on the field at one time and comply with social distancing guidelines because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ousley said.

A few of the eggs contained prize tickets that made the winning child eligible for an Easter basket featuring treats from Bruce’s Candy Kitchen or one of several plush rabbits donated by Rascals. As children checked in, they were also given a token to use for a ride on the carousel, courtesy of Susan Deshon and the Carousel Mall.

Throughout the event, the Easter Bunny made the rounds, greeting the families in attendance and taking photos.

In lieu of the aquatic treasure drive — which is traditionally hosted as an opportunity for older children to collect their own goodies — the park district held a drive-thru event after the egg hunt. They distributed bags with candy-stuffed eggs for children 7 and older to do an egg hunt at home with their families.

Ousley said she was pleased with the number of people who preregistered for the event, as well as those who came the day-of to participate. She projected it was a mixture of both families from Seaside and the surrounding communities, as well as people visiting for the weekend.

“Hopefully we brought some tourists to town,” she said.

The event was run primarily by park district staff, with help from board members Mike Hinton and Sue Coddington and numerous volunteers, including four students from Seaside High School’s Key Club. TLC Fibre Federal Credit Union and Providence Seaside Hospital also sponsored the egg hunt.

Bailey Roberts and Deb Dixon, community engagement and financial education coordinators with the credit union, oversaw the check-in table, where they assisted in COVID-19 contract tracing, making sure there weren’t too many people on the field at one time and helping the event run smoothly.

According to Roberts, community partnerships and fundraising are an integral component of Fibre Federal’s mission as a credit union.

“This is what we do,” she said, adding as the pandemic runs its course and more community events return for 2021, “we’re starting to see some movement, and we’re here for it.”