Community Stories

The Worldwide Hunt for Easter Eggs

April 10, 2020

While we are all practicing physical distancing, some would argue that we are closer than ever, to those that are the furthest away.

Char Baumann-Pardely is the creator of a public Facebook page called Easter Egg Hunt 2020 With Social Distancing. This group was created during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way of keeping children engaged, happy and active while out on walks with their families. To stave off feelings of loneliness, Baumann-Pardely tasked her community to paint eggs on their windows and in their yards so that children experiencing social isolation could hunt for them. Little did she know, this page would reach countries all over the world in just a few short days.

Char says she and her family returned home to Alberta from a trip to the United States on Monday, March 16. She recalls, “…when we got back, we went into total isolation. This page gave me a sense of community when I felt like there was none…it warms my heart to see so many people getting involved.”

She mentions the feeling of being totally isolated made her think of countries like Italy, who were so hard hit by COVID-19. Baumann-Pardely hoped this page would catch on, and that it might make it overseas to spread some happiness and feelings of community. The page was created on Tuesday, March 17 and in just three short weeks has garnered over 171,000 members. With these staggering numbers, Char has since achieved her goal of reaching some of the hardest hit areas. The page has not only reached Italy, but also places like Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, Belgium, Sweden, the Philippines and more! Every province and territory in Canada is represented as well, with Albertans joining in droves.

If nothing else, pages like these show us that we are all just citizens of one earth, longing for connection and togetherness as we approach the holidays. Members of the group happily share pictures of their brightly painted windows and yards in hopes of turning our days, just a little less grey.

While we may not be spending Easter with extended family and friends, we can still participate in acts of togetherness. So, take a walk over the Easter weekend, and see how many eggs and brightly decorated houses you can find in your neighbourhood!

Happy Easter from all of us at The City of Red Deer.