Boys Town hosts Easter egg hunt that visually impaired children can enjoy

BOYS TOWN, Neb. (WOWT) - Live music, small animals to pet, and plenty of eggs to hunt.

It all happened at the 16th Annual Beeping Egg Hunt Saturday afternoon at Boys Town’s Hall of History.

Gretna-area resident Cara Sillman said it’s not the first year she and her son Drew have attended.

“We’ve been coming for seven or eight years now when we can, as long as we’re in town for the Easter time,” Sillman said.

How does the egg hunt work? Each plastic egg gives off an audible beep. Children hunt them down and exchange them for prizes like stuffed animals, accessible books and treats.

“I remember, as a child, not having an opportunity to go a public egg hunt where you felt like you could participate,” said Kristal Platt, who is the vision program coordinator for Boys Town National Hospital. “So I think that part of it, again, is just feeling like you can participate the same as everyone else.”

Platt said having vision impairments can be isolating and lonely for kids. At Saturday’s event, they were able to connect with other kids and develop friendships.

“We’ve had families travel as far as four hours to come for an egg hunt, just so that they could come do this,” she said.

She said it’s also a chance for families to network with others facing the same challenges.

“It just made us feel like we weren’t alone,” Sillman said. “And then it just gives you perspective, not only just thinking about yourself and what you’re dealing with, but you see other people and talk with them and just to feel a part of something.”

Boys Town said it contributed $1,000 to make this event happen, not including in-kind donations from Outlook Enrichment, the Nebraska Foundation for Visually Impaired Children and Raising Cane’s.

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