WINNEMUCCA - For many children, the promise of Easter morning fills their daydreams with thoughts chocolate bunnies and baskets brimming with colorful eggs.
But last Easter, many children found their egg hunt hopes dashed because there was no community event coordinated in Winnemucca.
Feeling shock and dismay at the lack of a community egg hunt, Kathi Wolfsteller and her friend Mikki Ingle decided to do something about it.
"On Monday - literally the day after Easter - I was in talking with Mayor Putnam," Wolfsteller said. "I told her I wanted to make sure there was an Easter Egg Hunt next year - and I would coordinate it myself if necessary."
And so she has. Launching "Operation Easter," she and Ingle worked with Walmart last spring, and received as a donation all the store's leftover Easter items. She's also received a few donations from individuals and businesses around the area, and so far has socked away 10,000 plastic eggs, some baskets and a few other necessities. A storage unit donated by Sheppard Rentals is getting fuller all the time - but many more supplies are still needed, and there is much more still to do, Wolfsteller said.
Operation Easter is not simply an egg hunt, she said. While the main event of the day are the egg hunts and they will still be held at the Winnemucca Sports Complex - there have been a few changes and additions. For one, the celebration is scheduled for Saturday, March 30 - the day before Easter. "I want families to spend Easter with each other," Wolfsteller explains.
So what else is on the Operation Easter agenda? Wolfsteller says she is encouraging local groups or businesses to help bring to life a wide variety of activities that she hopes will happen before the egg hunts begin. "I would like to see the concession stand open. Maybe face painting, for the Easter Bunny to visit, games - whatever a group wants to do."
One caveat though - Wolfsteller wants everything to be free for children and their families. "It would be great if they could come, have fun and not have to pay anything," she said.
"I am looking for local groups to take on one of these projects and make it their own," she said. "I can't do everything, and I really believe this is an opportunity for lots of clubs or organizations to help. This is something that everyone in the community can get involved with."
The Easter Egg Hunt itself will be divided into three age categories, she explained. Ages 0 - 3, 4 - 8 and 9 - 13 will hunt separately on different fields of the Sports Complex. The children will hunt for plastic eggs, which will be filled with all manner of items.
While those who have organized egg hunts in Winnemucca in the past have used real eggs, Operation Easter is going with plastic. Wolfsteller said when she lived in Colorado she helped organize an Easter Egg Hunt at Ft. Carson that used plastic eggs, and found it to be a great option. The eggs were filled with candy, small toys and certificates from local businesses for ice cream cones, French fries or other small treats. She's looking to emulate the success of that well-attended community event here.
So what does Operation Easter need right now? Help and supplies, Wolfsteller said. While she has 10,000 plastic eggs already, she believes that a final tally of 15,000 - 20,000 would be best. Former egg hunt organizers told her that while 10,000 would handle the actual hunts, sometimes there are children who don't emerge with any eggs - and it's nice to be able to pass out a few eggs after the hunt to those who weren't lucky during the chaos.
In addition, the day will need thousands of small toys, candies or certificates to fill the eggs. Volunteers are needed to stuff the eggs, and to work during the day for setup and teardown, she said.
Wolfsteller and Ingle recently sent out letters to local businesses asking for volunteers, sponsors or monetary donations. All monetary donations are being handled by the Rotary Club of Winnemucca, and any leftover funds will be used for future events, Wolfsteller said.
"I'm really hoping the mom and pop businesses step up and help," she said. "Right now I'm not soliciting the big companies. I'm not asking the mines for help. I want this to be something that the community comes together to do."
If you or your group is interested in helping with Operation Easter, contact Wolfsteller or Ingle via email at: operationeaster@hotmail.com or call them directly. Wolfsteller's number is (775) 304-5033; Ingle can be reached at (775) 304-3613.
The Operation Easter committee will meet on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. in the back room of Spare Time Bowl. The public is encouraged to attend and lend their support.
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