This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
04/24/2024 08:30 AMFor nearly 20 years, Westbrook children have had the opportunity to enjoy a free community egg hunt thanks to the organizing work of Rich Holton.
When Rich and his wife Doreen were new to town, the couple quickly got involved with a community egg hunt that was being organized at Daisy Elementary School. After several years of attending, Rich and Doreen were asked by the original organizer if they would like to take over the event. Seventeen years later, they’re still at it.
“We try and make it better and bigger every year. We try and solicit donations, but if we can’t, I just spot the difference,” says Rich. “We try and have good stuff. Not like hard candy, but good candy people will want.”
Rich and Doreen have seen the event grow tremendously throughout the years they’ve been running it. Whereas the first year they were buying 20 stuffed bunnies for the kids to find, Rich notes that they now have over 100 bunnies for the event.
“We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to take one home. In the beginning, occasionally we’d have some people complain we ran out of stuff, but I don’t think we’ve had any complaints in 15 years,” Rich says.
Nowadays, the event is held on the lawn outside Westbrook Town Hall, and it has become a hit in the community with organizations like churches and the Girl Scouts, who set up booths and pitch in if they are able to.
“This year, we had a great weather. I think it was the only sunny day of the week,” Rich says with a chuckle.
This year’s event was held a few weeks before Easter in March.
“It’s really a great event. Parents and kids love it. It takes about 90 minutes to set up, and the whole thing is over in about 10 minutes from when we say go,” Rich says.
Although he and Doreen are the ones who run the event, Rich is quick to give credit to other people who help make it such a success.
“The Parks & Recreation Department is great. Kim Esposito has helped out spreading the word, and Kim Bratz has helped a lot, too. We try and make it just a fun event inclusive to everyone,” Rich says. “The police are also great about helping. They’re out front and turn on the siren to start the hunt, and the kids get a kick out of that.”
For Rich, the best part of the day is seeing the smiles on all the faces.
“My favorite part is just seeing the kids happy and the parents happy seeing their kids have fun,” says Rich. “And who doesn’t like seeing people with the Easter Bunny!?”
In fact, one part which Rich really enjoys is convincing people to take turns being the Easter Bunny.
“I get people you would never expect to agree to be the Easter Bunny,” Rich jokes.
As for a difficult part of planning the event, Rich admits it can sometimes be hard to spread the eggs on his own if there aren’t any volunteers.
“But even the hardest part really isn’t too hard at all,” says Rich. “We’ve done the best we can do to make it better every year and give back. I love it, and I love that the people in town seem to love it, too.”
It’s nothing new for Rich to pitch in to help the community. Over the years, Rich has helped with the Westbrook Parks & Recreation Department, has volunteered to run the town website, and has been a member of the Fair Rent Commission, as well as the town’s emergency management team. For Rich, giving back is something he’s always wanted to do.
“I’ve always wanted to be involved in the town. I live here. I work here. I want to be able to say I did my part,” says Rich.
Rich grew up in New Haven and has lived in Westbrook for 21 years.
“I’ve lived on the shoreline for most of my life. We love living in Westbrook. It’s just a great town. We love it, and the kids love it,” Rich says.
Professionally, Rich runs Enterprise Computers in neighboring Clinton. He enjoys the job, even though it is time-consuming. In his spare time, Rich enjoys trying the different cuisine options in the area.
“If you were to look through my phone, all you’d see is pictures of food. I love to go out to eat and try all the different local restaurants,” Rich says.
As for Westbrook specifically, Rich enjoys the civic engagement of the town.
“It’s a small town where everyone knows everyone, and everyone is willing to help out if somebody needs it,” says Rich.