by Kyle Reid
There was plenty of laughter and smiling faces hopping around Ridgeview Park on Saturday morning as the Rotary Club of Cottam hosted its first ever “Hop into Spring” event.
While the family-fun activity may have taken place a week early, the youths who attended the Easter holiday event were excited to wear their bunny ears and have whiskers painted on their faces.
Youth were encouraged to dress up for the special occasion, and Candaice Heinrichs was the winner of the best-dressed rabbit costume contest.
There were also plenty of Easter-themed activities offered to the over 100 young attendees who circulated in and out of the festivities. Children participated in a variety of activities, including Easter-themed crafts and games. They also paid visits to some of the enchanted princesses who spent the morning at the event.
Two live rabbits, Buellah and Phantom, were also on sight, who received plenty of attention from the children.
Rotary Club members were busy all morning helping to set up activities. The affiliated 4-H Club members also organized a small bake sale fundraiser at the event to help support their programs.
The event was entirely Cottam Rotary sponsored and was free to everyone who attended. Club members said the free event was a way to thank local community members for all of their support.
“This is a way for us to show our appreciation to [the community] by holding a fun [event],” Rotary Club member Sharon Parish said.
And, while this was the first ‘Hop into Spring’ event the Cottam Rotary Club has sponsored, the group is thinking that it would make a great annual event in the community.
“The amount of people who’ve come out, it shows us that it’s something that’s exciting for them,” Parish said. “It’s something that they look forward to, and they’d like to attend.”
“It’s always great to have the support of the community,” Rotary Club member Jason Clark added.
For its next major event, the Cottam Rotary Club will host the 57th annual Horse Fair and Fall Festival in September. More information about the Rotary Club and its activities can be found on the Cottam Rotary’s Facebook page.