PLAINS, Pa. — Posing for photos with the Easter Bunny and picking up chocolate-filled Easter eggs were a few of the fun things children and adults with special needs were invited to take part in at this egg hunt inside Mohegan Pennsylvania in Plains Township.
"(We have) 996 hunters this year, the most ever," said Brighter Journeys co-founder Lisa Urbanski.
This is the first time Brighter Journeys has been able to host this event since the pandemic.
Special education classes from Lackawanna County, Luzerne County, and the Poconos were invited to attend.
"We have day programs and group homes with special needs, adults that are also participating, and this year, we also have 40 volunteers because it got so big," added Urbanski.
"They were bouncing out of their car seats on the way down there," said Maria Flynn about her students from Trinity Child Care. "We're so excited. We didn't tell them until the last minute, and they knew last night or this morning, and they were so excited to see the bunny, to pick eggs, just to have the interaction."
Organizers tell Newswatch 16 there's more to this event than making sure the attendees are having fun. This is also about spreading information on resources available for families who might need services in our area.
"When the children get home, the parents will be able to go through their bags and get resources that they might not have known were available," said Urbanski.
Dr. Laura Holena runs Special Care Smiles, a dentistry practice that caters to children and adults with special needs. She says this is a great opportunity to let families know about her services while having fun at the same time.
"Getting the information out to parents that need the resources is key," added Holena.
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