Chardon welcomes children and their families for Breakfast with the Easter Bunny and Easter Egg Hunt
Apr. 8—Two Chardon-based organizations teamed up to provide a series of fun Easter-related activities on the morning of April 8.
The Chardon Square Association held its annual Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, which was immediately followed by an Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce.
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny took place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Pilgrim Christian Church, located on South Hambden Street.
"Families come back year after year for this," said Chardon Square Association President Sylvia McGee. "It has become a tradition for so many."
The event is carried out by volunteers, including Chardon Square Association members and Chardon High School students. They prepare and serve food, assist guests, clear tables and perform other cleanup duties.
Chardon Square Association members Kevin Temple and Jeff Traffis pitched in by cooking pancakes, while the group's treasurer, Kathy Dufur, helped to arrange food on plates before handing them off to another set of volunteers.
"It's a fun day for Chardon Square," Dufur said, regarding the breakfast and the hunt for eggs.
Traffis, when asked why he enjoys volunteering for the breakfast, cited "the community, the smiles and the fun."
A highlight for children who attend the breakfast is an opportunity to visit with the Easter Bunny. When the Easter Bunny entered the church dining hall at about 9:30 a.m., he received hugs from many kids who hopped out of the line for ordering meals or jumped up from their tables to greet the celebrity guest.
After acknowledging the enthusiastic reception, the Easter Bunny sat and posed for photos with children. Noelle Cross, who is 4 years old, visited with the Easter Bunny while her mother, Emily Cross, took pictures.
"It's so exciting to be here," Emily said, noting that her family, which lives in Cincinnati, was visiting relatives in Chardon. "(Noelle) is at the perfect age for the Easter Bunny."
Other kids at the breakfast, such as 7-year-old Aubrey Mileti of Concord Township, were eager to participate in the Easter Egg Hunt, slated for 11 a.m. on Chardon Square.
"She's got her Easter basket in the car and she's ready to go," said Aubrey's father, Chris Mileti. "She was practicing Easter egg hunting with her grandma yesterday."
The Easter Egg Hunt was split up by age groups, with staggered start times to provide families with good photo opportunities, said Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Melissa Ricco.
"I'd say we had well over 300 parents and children participate," she said, in an email following the event. "It was a gorgeous day and we had a wonderful turnout, with so many smiling faces."
Ricco also expressed her gratitude to the many community sponsors, volunteers and chamber members who helped to make the 2023 Easter Egg Hunt a success.
