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Oregon firefighters are helping families celebrate Easter even if the coronavirus pandemic has led the department to tweak a few holiday traditions.
Over the years, the Amity Fire District has held an annual Easter egg hunt, but social distancing and the banning of large public gatherings in response to the global health crisis forced the cancellation of this month's event. Organizers, however, didn't want residents to entirely miss out on the egg hunt.
“It’s an annual tradition that’s been going on for decades," firefighter Scott Law, a training chief with the Amity Fire District, told KPTV-TV. "When we had to cancel it, it was tugging on our heart strings."
So this year, Amity firefighters enlisted volunteers and planned to hide eggs in the yards of the first 40 families around the city who signed up. But response has been so overwhelming that around 2,500 eggs will be hidden for 85 families, with even more kids participating this year compared to previous hunts, according to KPTV.
Firefighters will hide the eggs by the morning of April 11, and tell families know how many are hidden in each yard. When handling and hiding the eggs, volunteers will wear gloves and follow safety guidelines from the state and the Centers for Disease Control concerning COVID-19, KPTV added.
