As children eagerly lined up around the designated area for their age group at Broadway Park during the annual Community Egg Hunt on Saturday, Amanda Browning escorted the life-sized Easter Bunny from location to location, giving countdowns, facilitating photo ops and ensuring smooth transitions.

Browning has multiple roles at Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District, which hosts the Community Egg Hunt and aquatic Treasure Dive each year. She’s a youth leader, head lifeguard and swim instructor.

“I’m not sure what I’m considered when I’m the bunny bouncer,” she jokes. “It might fall under recreational leader.”

Under her watchful eye, hundreds of children from 0 to 10 set about collecting approximately 800 colorful eggs filled with candy and spread across the park during Saturday’s event, which was sponsored by Providence Seaside Hospital and Runkle Consulting Group.

This year’s egg hunt brought out about 1,500 people — a significant jump over last year’s attendance of 300 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the district did a drive-through-only event in lieu of any gathering, manager of marketing and special events Melissa Ousley said.

As the event resumes its normal operation, she added, it was pleasant to feel the joy and sense of community among the crowd, as well as the district staff and volunteers from Seaside High School and Seaside Middle School who are pivotal to pulling it off.

“There was some nice energy,” she said. “Everybody was super excited.”

The ‘bunny bouncer’Browning originally was solicited as the Easter Bunny chaperone about five years ago, in part because of her ability to project her voice and capture the crowd’s attention.

“All of the kids can hear my countdown,” she said.

Ousley added, “She’s one of those really outgoing people that’s able to get everybody involved.”

However, Browning plays the part gladly. “My favorite would have to be all of the kids getting to see the Easter Bunny, and how they absolutely love it.”

She referenced one little toddler, maybe 2 years old, who kept running up to the bunny’s legs and hugging him throughout the egg hunt.

“Most of the kids are excited and happy,” she said.

In addition to getting photos with the Easter bunny at a photo booth, children received tokens to ride the carousel in Seaside’s downtown Carousel Mall. Some of the plastic eggs also contained golden tickets to claim plush bunnies donated by Rascal’s and Easter baskets from Bruce’s Candy Kitchen.

After the egg hunt, the district hosted its annual Aquatic Treasure Dive, which Browning also has led for about 13 years. She assumed the helm from former general manager Mary Blake.

“She kind of left me the legacy of playing,” Browning said.

This year, about 75 children ages 7 to 17 participated in the treasure dive. During the first part of the program, they played a variety of fun and engaging games. Browning keeps the whole thing flexible, tailoring activities to the general mood and interest of the kids who participate from year to year. Some enjoy more competitive games, while others tend toward collaborative group activities.

“I very much do a go-with-the-flow thing,” she said.

After the games, they moved into the treasure dive, with students looking for keys among a collection of coins on the bottom of the pool. One special key opened the treasure box with the grand prize. The other keys were good for a candy bar.

This year, Blake came back to join Browning in leading the dive, which was a special treat for all involved.

“I love playing with Mary,” Browning said. “You never grow old around that woman.”

Both the treasure dive and egg hunt draw families from throughout Clatsop County and beyond. Some are out-of-state visitors who come to town to celebrate Easter with their families.

“They always come and say ‘hi’ to me, and they get excited to do it,” Browning said.

‘All of the kids can hear my countdown.’

—Amanda Browning, bunny escort