There are loads of egg hunts in our area, but only one local hunt benefits pediatric cancer research, and that’s the Colin Maher Easter Egg Hunt, scheduled for Saturday, March 28, at 11 am in Cranford’s lovely Hanson Park on Springfield Ave.

This marks the fifth year that the Friends of Colin nonprofit organization has hosted the egg hunt, and attendance has grown every year. That’s no surprise, since it’s truly a delightful event, with more than 2,000 treat-filled eggs hidden for the little ones, not to mention a visit from the big ol’ Bunny himself, DJ music, raffles, and face painting all included with the admission price. And Hanson Park is so pretty in the spring, you just might take some frame-worthy photos of your kids.

Tickets to the hunt can be purchased at a discounted price of $8 plus tax per child 10 and under through the following link until March 20th (after that the price goes up to $10): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/5th-annual-colin-maher-easter-egg-hunt-tickets-15696557827

You can also buy tickets at the event if you arrive early, at 10 am. Check-in for ticket holders begins at 10:30 am, and the egg hunt starts at 11. Kids should bring their own baskets to collect the highly coveted eggs. All proceeds from this event go toward funding research and awareness of Ewing sarcoma (cancerous bone tumor) through Georgetown University Hospital.

The Friends of Colin organization was started, quite literally, by the good friends of Colin J. Maher, a Cranford resident who died of Ewing sarcoma in 2010. Colin’s love of candy (he was an avid Pez collector!) and Easter egg hunts were well known by his friends and neighbors of Retford Ave., where Colin hosted his own egg hunt every year. After his death, his friends wanted to pay tribute to Colin, and the idea of a townwide egg hunt was born as way to honor their friend while raising much-needed funds for a rare disease.

To find out more about Friends of Colin, visit: www.friendsofcolin.org or check them out on Facebook.