Children of all ages hop into seasonal fun with eggs, beneficent bunny

Hopping into Easter with an affordable, family friendly community event feels like the perfect way to celebrate the holiday and enjoy what the city has to offer. On April 5, Oshkosh Parks hosted its annual “Breakfast with the Bunny & Egg Hunt” at the Expo Center for families to enjoy. The morning event consisted of a free sausage and pancake breakfast, fun crafts, face paint, balloons, raffle prizes, and of course, meeting the Easter Bunny. The afternoon was spent with an exciting egg hunt and games for children and their families.

Jen McCollian of Oshkosh Parks Revenue Facilities organized  the Breakfast with the Bunny event. When putting together such a big project, McCollian encountered some difficulties, especially when it came to covering the cost for the event. 

“The challenge we always have when putting events together would be finding enough sponsors to help cover the expenses,” she said.

McCollian recognizes the importance of finding funding for a large event like this. Sponsorships help Oshkosh create exciting events like the breakfast for families to attend. 

“Without sponsorships and volunteers, we would not be able to host these amazing community events,” she said.

In the end, all of the hard work proved worth it. Although there were games, face painting, and balloon animals, the bunny mascot was the biggest draw, with children waiting in line to snap a photo. An anonymous boy commented about how much fun Easter was in general.

“The Easter bunny leaves a lot of chocolate eggs around,” he said.

To some children, seeing their favorite bunny in person can also be somewhat intimidating, true for one anonymous boy.

“I think he’s really cute,” he said. “He’s sometimes scary, though, because of his teeth.”

The best reward for an event like this is seeing the impact it has on those who attend, according to McColian.

“At each and every event we offer, we always see tons of families with smiles on their faces enjoying their time together,” she said.

The event could not have happened without volunteers who created a fun and creativity-filled space. Emma Donahue, a West junior and activity volunteer who assisted with crafts, saw firsthand how many people enjoy fun and affordable events like this.

“It was a good experience, and I liked interacting with the people,” she said.

Donahue volunteered last year at the same event but with a different role. With both experiences, she found joy in helping out.

“I feel like I had more interactions this time than last time because I was in a more active station,” she said. “It was more fun that way.”

Donahue believes volunteering is important and enjoys getting experiences to help her in the future.

“I thought it would look good for colleges, getting my hours in,” she said. “But I also like helping people.” 

Of course, volunteering doesn’t just appeal to colleges. Volunteering, to Donahue, is good for getting a feel for what the community is like and to spend time with loved ones. 

“I really liked being in the company of my own friends while gaining volunteer experience,” she said.

by Adele Faust

Published April 28th, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue VII