JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md., –
The 11th Force Support Squadron hosted the Annual Family Fest and Bunnies and Eggs Celebration themed "We are family" in front of the youth center here April 19, 2014.
This year the Family Fest was held in conjunction with the Bunnies and Eggs Celebration.
More than 600 Team Andrews members attend the festival, and the celebration boasted numerous events including an Easter egg hunt, pictures with the Easter bunny, inflatable bounce houses, food, a "Kids Run" and more.
"This is one of four of our major events for the year," said Matrice Adger, 11th Force Support Squadron assistant director of youth programs. "It's held to boost morale for our youth and their families."
Although a variety of events made up the festival, the event was centered around the Easter egg hunt.
The hunt was broken down into time slots and different search areas according to the age of the children participating. It was open to children infant to 12-years old.
The playground behind the youth center and the surrounding fields were painted in shades of pastel pink, blue, yellow, orange and purple as more than 12,000 candy filled eggs laid in place. Swarms of giggling, eager, children lined the starting point, dressed in their Easter best, holding empty baskets with excitement.
As the first group of children, varying in age from infant to two-years-old, lined the playground, their eyes began to scan and their tiny feet began to move forward as they pulled away from the grips of their guardian.
Some of the younger children picked up a single egg at a time and examined each as their parents instructed them to place them in the basket, while the older children treated the hunt as a race; the one who picks up the most eggs in the shortest amount of time, wins.
The children cleared the playground and most eggs went with, except for a few eggs that a young toddler plucked from his basket to throw back on ground.
"We decided to come to the [family fest] because we live on base, we wanted to get out of the house and do something fun, --find some eggs," said Lt. Cmdr. Tom Paudler, Naval Air Facility Washington, Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 1, C-20 NATOPS instructor pilot.
If all the activities weren't enough, lunch was provided free of charge.
In between the egg hunts, families made their way to the sizzling sounds of the grill where they selected their choice of hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, chips and a drink. There was a dining tent where families could sit back, relax and eat up.
The half-day event wrapped up with the Kids Run which encourages children to stay fit.
"In celebration of the April, Month of the Military Child, we focus on fitness activities and we implement the kids run with family fest every year," said Gingrich 11th FSS, youth center education and training technician.
The event was made possible by donations and non-appropriated funds.
"It was an amazing event, we have it every year and it was a huge success hosting the Family Fest with the Bunnies and Eggs celebration, " said Gingrich. "We expected about 400 people but we had a much larger turnout than expected."