KAILUA-KONA — Mikayla Dickens already had a strategy prepared for Saturday’s Easter Egg Rush put on by the HUB Church.
“Go to the middle,” the 6-year-old said looking out over the soccer field at Old Kona Airport Beach Park in Kailua-Kona. “Because there’s not going to be as many children.”
And, go to the middle she did. As soon as the countdown hit go, Dickens beelined up the side, cut through an open lane between other kids ages 6 to 8, and found a spot chock full of eggs and no kids. She quickly worked to fill her “Minions”-themed pail.
“Her dad taught her that strategy,” said mom, Kimberly Yamasaki, who brought Dickens down for her fourth Egg Rush and her little sister, Kaytlin Dickens, for her second.
Added Yamasaki, “It’s pretty fun. I just let her do what she wants. It’s for the kids. It’s supposed to be fun.”
The sisters were just two of the 1,117 keiki up to age 12 who registered and took part in the festivities put on by the HUB Church. Now in its 26th year, the event, which is nondenominational and free for all, is a way for the church, formerly known as Solid Rock Ministries, to give back to the community, said James “Pastor Tex” Texeira.
“We are part of the community so we want to see the whole community come together — from here, from mauka, all over,” Pastor Tex said.
Pulling off the event that attracts thousands takes about 150 volunteers and various community sponsors, he said. In addition to planning, they also have to stuff about 40,000 eggs, and prepare food, drinks and prizes.
Each of the four age group “heats” in the Easter Egg Rush gets approximately 10,000 plastic eggs to pick up. Most of the eggs were stuffed with candy, but some contained tickets for the bigger prizes, such as bikes, virtual glasses, stuffed animals and more.
With at least a several dozen brightly colored plastic eggs in her pail, Mikayla Dickens rushed back to her family’s tent. Sitting down, she quickly tore through her eggs, harvesting the fruits of her labor. Garnering the most excitement was one of those sweet, old-fashioned strawberry hard candies.
“Happy Easter,” she said.