Lila Gongora
Staff Writer
The La Verne Parks and Recreation Department threw their annual Egg-cellent Adventure event for the spring season at Heritage Park on March 28.
The event was free entry and consisted of multiple egg hunts for families with six sponsors and four food and craft vendors.
The three egg hunts that took place were for different age groups ranging from one to twelve years old as families were able to immerse themselves in the adventure that was filled with pastel colors and family bonding time on a sunny day.
Jesse Cervantes, parks and recreation coordinator for the La Verne Parks and Recreation Department, organized the event this year.
“It is incredibly important to be able to offer recreation programs directly to the community,” Cervantes said. “It is beneficial to the community’s social and mental well being to socialize with other community members and for children, that they can socialize with others of their own age.”
The event has been held at Heritage Park in La Verne for the last four years as well as events like Winter Wonderland that encapsulates Christmas fun. Other events like Trunk or Treat have been held at the La Verne City Hall parking lot.
An Easter Bunny attended this event, as well, to take pictures with families as children were able to get their face painted and take home their favorite animal from a balloon artist.
The vendors at these events contribute to the overall atmosphere, making the day more versatile for all age groups. Vendors at this event included a craft jewelry maker called See the Sunshine along with two ice cream and snack vendors, and a tea and refresher caterer called Cha So Good.
Owners of Cha So Good, Nina Prajaksilpthai, a University of La Verne alumna, and Joseph Montes find it important to get out in their community to cater events like these such as the La Verne Homecoming event they attended this past fall.
“We want to separate ourselves from the big chains and make our brand more local and operate only where we reside rather than trying to be as big as we can be,” Montes said. “Seeing the kids happy was infectious and we had a good time based on that energy.”
Events like these would not be able to take place without community sponsors like the La Verne Rotary Club who has sponsored the event for the last four years. They work with the Parks and Recreation Department to put on the Egg-cellent Adventure event, a senior holiday luncheon during the winter, and a Thanksgiving Project for local food insecure families.
Debbie Deacy, club president of the Rotary Club, is serving her second term as president and is also the executive director of purchasing and procurement services at the University of La Verne.
“The club had a booth and it was pretty active because we had a spinning wheel and the kids could spin to win a rubber ducky, piece of candy, or raffle ticket,” Deacy said. “These events are a matter of community and bringing the La Verne residents together to have a family fun event to enrich their lives.”
Parents and family members were seen helping their children find eggs and navigate the event.
“I found so many eggs and they were all colorful,” Six-year-old Lucas said. “I had fun.”
The next big event for the La Verne Parks and Recreation Department will be the Fourth of July Parade.
Lila Gongora can be reached at lila.gongora@laverne.edu.
Lila Gongora is a sophomore communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is the LV Life editor for the Campus Times and previously served as a staff writer.
Jasmine Lyn is a sophomore photography major and photography editor for the Campus Times. She is also a staff photographer for La Verne Magazine and a former staff photographer for the Campus Times. Her work can also be found at Jazzylyn.com
