Hunting for eggs in their own backyard

Nearly 50 children crowded in front of the gate leading to Diane Radtke’s backyard on Albermarle Avenue just before 11 a.m. last Thursday. The Easter Bunny stood on the other side of the fence, ready to let each youngster scoop up as many of the 1,600 plastic eggs scattered across the lawn that they possibly could.

For the 19th consecutive year, the Radtke family welcomed their neighbors to their home for an Easter egg hunt. The festive event also serves as a charity food drive.

Radtke said that many East Meadow families come back for the egg hunt annually, and she continues to invite students at local schools, and families she’s met at parks and the library. She fills thousands of eggs with toys, stickers, candy and money for them to take home.

In the spirit of holiday giving, Radtke also asked each family in attendance to bring at least one nonperishable food item to the hunt. The canned goods, pasta, cereals and baby food and formula collected were donated to the pantry at St. Raphael’s Roman Catholic Church.

Participants dropped off their donations in Radtke’s driveway before heading into the yard. In addition to the prizes, everyone enjoyed snacks, photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny and the chance to catch up with local friends.