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FLORENCE: Annual Township egg hunt draws crowd

The egg hunt was held at the H. Kenneth Wilkie Park on Front Street April 19.

by Amy Batista, Special Writer
FLORENCE — Children came out in droves ready to hunt for eggs and win prizes last Saturday at the township’s annual Easter egg hunt.
   ”It’s a yearly tradition,” said Councilman Jerry Sandusky said of the event, which is the day before Easter and is sponsored by Boyd’s Pharmacy and the Florence Township Fire Department.
   Councilman Sandusky thanked both event sponsors.
   ”It’s a great day,” added Mayor Craig Wilkie. “I’m thankful for the connection between the fire company, Boyd’s Pharmacy and the cub scouts.”
   Mayor Wilkie noted the cub scouts come in afterwards to help clean up the park and the partnership goes back nearly 30 years
   The egg hunt was held at the H. Kenneth Wilkie Park on Front Street April 19.
   In 1998, L. Clark Boyd III and his wife, Carolann Boyd, took over the Boyd Pharmacy family business.
   According to the Boyd couple, the egg hunt was started in 1986.
   ”It goes back to him and his brother, Clinton,” said Ms. Boyd, adding that Clinton, also a member of the fire department, originally started the egg hunt and is no longer with the pharmacy.
   The Boyds noted they celebrated their 91st anniversary of the pharmacy this February 19.
   Upon arrival at the park, each child received a goody bag filled with a variety of candy including some peeps, chocolate eggs and jelly beans.
   The kids were divided this year into three age groups — zero to three years old, four to six years old, and seven to ten years old.
   The Boyd’s daughter, Caron, was the event’s organizer.
   ”We try to get the town involved,” said Ms. Boyd, adding that the event is advertised in both of its stores in Florence and in Bordentown City.
   Over 1,500 eggs are filled with jelly beans and spread through the park.
   ”We get here about two hours early and start set up,” she said, adding the squirrels will take and eat them.
   For Ms. Boyd the highlight of the event is watching the kids enjoy themselves.
   ”You see them coming and then all of a sudden no one is here and then its boom everybody is here,” she said.
   Residents were out and about with baskets in hand to hunt for eggs including some local squirrels – some that even helped themselves to a few eggs.
   ”We have to have people out here walking so the squirrels won’t get them,” she added.
   ”Another beautiful and successful day in Florence,” said Mr. Boyd. “What’s really nice is when you see the kids and how big they have gotten since the previous year.”
   ”A great turnout,” said Carolann Boyd.
   Mr. Sandusky was enjoying the morning with his family and grandkids — Chase MacWhinney, 5, Blake Blss, 4, and Demeter Crawley, 4.
   ”I remember doing it myself and now I come watch my grandkids,” he said.
   Chase was hoping to “find a lot of eggs.”
   Blake was looking for the “star egg.”
   Demeter was just excited and had eyes already on a blue egg in the tree.
   Sophia Lewis, 4, of Burlington Township was busy collecting a bag full of eggs and described her first time coming as “nice.”
   ”It’s a nice event for the kids,” said mom Kimberly Aikins, of Burlington Township, adding it was beautiful weather.
   Landon Potpinka, 6, of Florence, won the two-pound chocolate bunny.
   ”It was fun,” he said, hold his prizes with the help of his father.
   His dad, Justin Potpinka, of Florence, wanted to thank everyone who put it together.
   ”It’s really for all the kids who come out here and enjoy a beautiful day,” he said.
   Tom Supey, Cubmaster of Pack 3, joined with about 30 volunteers, including his scouts, to assist in cleaning up the park after the egg hung which was part of a service project.
   ”We are here doing a service project to help the community to clean up the park,” Mr. Supey said. “We know this is always a big weekend with the Easter Egg Hunt and there is always a lot of trash generated. We thought it would be a good opportunity to get out and do something and give back to the community.”