Youngsters spend time at Wick Park searching for Easter eggs

By Amanda Garrett | March 20, 2016 at 12:04a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

It’s probably not surprising that given this year’s mild winter and early advent of spring, Wick Park has become a bit more colorful than is typical for mid-March.

But light blue, pink, purple and yellow?

Enhancing the large urban park’s increasingly noticeable hues of scattered green – not to mention a sense of overall excitement in the air – were thousands of plastic Easter eggs strewn about, as well as children of all ages who fanned out and collected as many as they could get their hands on.

That was the main theme that played out several times during Saturday’s seventh annual Easter egg hunt and pancake breakfast at Wick Park Recreation Center, 260 Park Ave., on the city’s North Side.

Hosting the three-hour funfest for youngsters and adults were the Wick Park Neighborhood Association, Ursuline High School, Youngstown Rotary and Youngstown State University’s chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma, about 30 members of which passed out prizes and picked up litter.

Also contributing to the effort were former Youngstown councilwoman Annie Gillam, Councilman Nate Pinkard, D-3rd, and Phil Kidd, associate director of Youngstown CityScape and a longtime local activist, noted Maggie Pentz, event coordinator.

The children, age 1 to 12, were divided into five age groups for the staggered egg hunts to receive prizes that included finger crayons, popcorn, candy, baskets, colored chalk and a variety of toys. The 11- and 12-year-olds also took part in a scavenger hunt, Pentz said.

“I got eight eggs with pieces of paper and numbers,” an excited Annalise Terlecki of Liberty Township said as her 8-year-old brother, Benjamin Terlecki, an E.J. Blott Elementary School third-grader, returned with a log of colorful results from his hunt.

Accompanying the siblings were their parents, Josh and Kristina Terlecki.

“We will get our basket blessed and go to St. Anne [Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic] Church in Austintown,” Kristina said about the family’s likely Easter plans next Sunday.

Don’t think, however, that Saturday’s egg hunt is the last of its kind for the family. More are planned in the next week, said Josh, who added that they likely will also enjoy an Easter meal consisting of ham, sauerkraut and pirogi.

Also happy with the growing egg collection that began to fill his plastic bag was 4-year-old Hugh Law of Youngstown, who attends the Montessori School of the Mahoning Valley in Youngstown.

Hugh, who also is Maggie Pentz’s son, came with his grandmother, Sandy Pentz, who on several occasions encouraged Hugh to find a few additional eggs next to nearby trees.

In addition to enjoying the outdoor festivities, many children in each age group took part in coloring contests. The top finisher in the 11- and 12-year-old category was Nathan Phillips, 12, a Montessori School sixth-grader.

On other occasions, the Easter-themed gathering was considered a fundraiser, but this year, it was a fun giveback and a way to bring the community together, said Maggie Pentz, who added that she was grateful to the volunteers and sponsors for making the family-friendly event possible.

“It doesn’t happen without them,” she said.